On January 7, 2022, the day of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ according to the Julian calendar, matins and Divine Liturgy were served at the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church in Damascus.
At the invitation of the representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarchal Throne of Antioch, Hegumen Arseny (Sokolov) and with the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Great Antioch and All the East, the festive Liturgy was led by Bishop Moses of Darai. The hierarch was co-served by Hegumen Arseny and Archdeacon Hilarion (Beshara), secretary of His Beatitude Patriarch John, a graduate student of the Church-wide Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius.
The service was performed in two languages - Arabic and Church Slavonic.
The festive Divine Liturgy was attended by the Envoy-Counselor of the Russian Embassy in Syria E.M. Kurbanov and other Embassy staff, Russian military, as well as children of the Antiochian and Russian Orthodox Churches living in Damascus.
Upon the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, the Christmas Message of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was read out.
After the service, Bishop Moses of Darai, on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Great Antioch and All the East, congratulated Russian Orthodox Christians on the feast of the Nativity of Christ. In response, Abbot Arseny thanked Bishop Moses and Archdeacon Hilarion for their joint festive prayer and presented them with Christmas gifts.