On the morning of Tuesday, September 17, 2024, Metropolitan Varsanoufios of Petersburg visited the Patriarchate of Jerusalem with a group of clergy and laity of his Holy Metropolis.
This was received by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, Who expressed His joy at this visit, particularly underlining that, despite the raging political situation, we maintain our hopes, because we are the Church of the Resurrection, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Holy Golgotha and the other Holy Shrines.
Keeping this hope and rejoicing in this visit at a time when there are no pilgrims, we pray for Metropolitan Pavlos, Metropolitan Onufriy, Metropolitan Arsenios, and our other brothers who are being tested in Ukraine, for the Patriarch of Moscow and all of Russia Cyril, especially remembering the saying of Saint John Chrysostom that “the Church is the ship”, it is the Body of Christ, “tossed but not submerged”.
In this hope, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem makes every effort to heal the broken unity of the Church and preserve its unity.
Responding, Metropolitan Varsanoufios expressed his joy at visiting the Patriarchate, the mother of the Churches, conveying the fraternal greetings of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Cyril and his thanks for the efforts for the unification of the Churches and the recent statement of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem regarding the acts of violence against the Church of Ukraine.
The Church of Jerusalem is tested especially in the Holy Monastery of Saint Porphyrios in Gaza.
The Patriarch of Jerusalem offered a set of engolpia to Metropolitan Varsanufios, a silver cross of blessing and Patriarchal blessing to the Priests and his pilgrim companions, and a Patriarchal lapel for the Patriarch of Moscow Cyril.
