Damascus – A qualified delegation of the Patriarchate of Moscow took part in the meeting convened on Saturday 17 November in Damascus by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, which also saw the participation of Syrian politicians and a large representation of representatives of the local Sunni Islamic communities. The meeting – according to official sources of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, consulted by Fides – offered the opportunity to discuss topics of common interest related to the situation in Syria and to Russian-Syrian relations.
Hosted by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch Yohanna X, the meeting was attended, among others, by Syrian minister of religious endowments Mohammed Abdul Sattar, Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, Syrian Orthodox Patriarch Mar Ignatius Aphrem II, Cardinal Mario Zenari , Apostolic Nuncio in Damascus, together with envoys of the Russian government and a good number of Russian Christian and Muslim representatives.
The meeting held in Damascus assumes importance also in light of the contrasts between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople around the process of establishing an autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church, outside the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow.
Source: Agenzia Fides
