On January 23, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, continued his working visit to the Antiochian Orthodox Church in the Lebanese city of Zahle.
In this city, on the initiative of its native, the representative of the Patriarch of Antioch to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis, an Orthodox church in the Russian architectural style dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God "Unintentional Joy" is being built.
Together with Metropolitan Niphon, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, a delegation accompanying him on the trip, consisting of Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Adviser to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Deputy Chairman of the DECR, and Priest Alexander Ershov, Assistant Chairman of the DECR, as well as A.N. Rudakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Lebanese Republic, and the Executive Director of the Support Fund The Christian culture and heritage of E.I. Skopenko visited the site of the construction of the church and got acquainted with the progress of construction work. Metropolitan Anthony noted significant progress in the construction process compared to November 2021, when he had the opportunity to participate in the laying of the temple.
Then the DECR chairman and his entourage were invited by Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis to a fraternal dinner.
January 23 was the final day of the DECR Chairman's working visit to the Patriarchate of Antioch. The next day, Metropolitan Anthony and his accompanying delegation flew to Moscow.