« Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokalamsk met with HRH Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh »

On 25 May 25 2011 Metropolitan Hilarion, the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of Moscow Patriarchate, who was in London on a brief working visit with the blessing of Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow and All Russia, met with the HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh,  at Buckingham Palace. 

Metropolitan Hilarion congratulated the duke on his forthcoming ninetieth birthday, and presented him with an icon of the New-Martyr Grand Duches Elizabeth Feodorovna, who was a blood relative of the British Royal Family. During the conversation, which lasted about an hour, the DECR chairman told the Duke of Edinburgh about the rebirth of the Russian Orthodox Church in the past twenty years, including the restoration and construction of monasteries in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and other countries belonging to the canonical jurisdiction of Moscow Patriarchate. He commented on the important role of the monasteries not only in the spiritual education of monks and laymen, but also in work to protect the environment.

An exchange of views followed on a wide range of issues, in particular the development of monastic life on Mount Athos, which the prince has visited. Metropolitan Hilarion also informed Prince Philip about the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church's St Cyril and St Methodius post-graduate theological programme   

The meeting was attended by the General Secretary of the Alliance of Religions for Conservation, Martin Palmer, and Dr Dimitri Oikonomou, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of the organization . 

DECR Communication Service