Orthodox visit Jerusalem Patriarchate

On September 26 the group of pilgrims with Metropolitan Volodymyr at the head was received by His Most Godly Beatitude the Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine Theophilos III.

Taking part in the reception also were Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and all Moldova with numerous clergy, as well as the hierarchs and clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, more than 200 pilgrims from Russia, Ukraine and Moldova.

(UOC-MP) The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the head of the Church of Moldova thanked the Patriarch of Jerusalem for the reception and the possibility of celebration of the Divine Liturgy at the most holy shrine of the Christian world - the Holy Sepulchre.

In his greeting word Metropolitan Volodymyr noted with gratitude that His Beatitude Patriarch Theophanes of Jerusalem rendered inestimable service to the Russian Orthodox Church - restored the orthodox hierarchy in the territory of Rzeczpospolita.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr donated a copy of the facsimile edition of the Peresopnytsia Gospels - the first known translation o the gospel text into Ukrainian, to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem thanked the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for the valuable gift and underscored that the arrival of the orthodox pilgrims from Ukraine, Russia and other countries to the Holy Land not only testifies to the viability of the Church, but also enables the brethren of the Holy Sepulchre to bear their obedience of preserving the greatest shrines of the Orthodoxy.