Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk received Mar Ishaq Yusip (Assyrian Church of the East), Metropolitan of the diocese of Nohadra, Mosul and the CIS countries, at the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations.
Present at the meeting were also Chorebishop Samano Odisho, rector of the Moscow Church of Mat Mariam, and Hieromonk Stephen (Igumnov), DECR secretary for inter-Cristian relations.
Metropolitan Mar Ishaq extended congratulations to Metropolitan Hilarion on yesterday’s commemoration day of his patron saint and conveyed him a cordial greeting from Gewargis III, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East.
The sides discussed the situation of Christians in the Middle East. Metropolitan Mar Ishaq pointed to Russia’s considerable presence and peace influence in the region, so that Christians and people of other religious communities look to her with great hope as their protector.
Metropolitan Hilarion told the guest about the efforts made by the Russian Orthodox Church to improve the situation of Christians in the Middle East, noting how important it is to receive information about the developments there directly from hierarchs of Middle East Churches.
In conclusion of the meeting, the DECR chairman presented Metropolitan Mar Ishaq with a copy of his book entitled “The Spiritual World of St. Isaac the Syrian.”
Source: mospat.ru