Met. Christopher of the Czech lands visits the US

Met. Christopher of the Czech lands, Met. Jonah or Washington, and Met. Hilarion of New York

(st-catherine.ru) - On Sunday evening, February 27, 2011, His Beatitude, the Most Blessed CHRISTOPHER, the Primate of the Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia visited Manhattan, New York where he was able to make stops at two of the Orthodox Cathedrals in the city.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER first arrived at St Nicholas the Wonderworker Russian Orthodox Cathedral where he was greeted by His Eminence, Archbishop JUSTINIAN of Naro-Fominsk and Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA. Shortly after the entrance of Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER to the parish, His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH of All America and Canada also arrived, by invitation of Archbishop JUSTINIAN and with the blessing of His Holiness, Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Russia, to participate in the visit of the Primate of the Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia.

After a short introductory tour of the cathedral where the guests learned more about the parish’s history, they were invited to the Archbishop’s private quarters for an informal tea where they had the possibility to share in conversation on a wide range of topics of mutual interest.

Later that evening, Their Beatitudes, Metropolitans CHRISTOPHER and JONAH traveled to the Cathedral of “Our Lady of the Sign” and the Synodal Residence of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia where they were met by that Church’s First Hierarch, His Eminence, Metropolitan HILARION of Eastern America and New York. There, the guests were also given a tour and a short history of the cathedral and its spiritual treasures preserved therein.

Following the time spent in the cathedral, the Primates of the Churches of the Czech lands and Slovakia, and America were invited to Metropolitan HILARION’s residence for some refreshments. It was during this time that His Beatitude, Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER formally invited His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH to visit the Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia in an official capacity in the near future in order to witness to the unity that exists between the two Local Autocephalous Orthodox Churches.

In addition to the hierarchs mentioned above, also participating in the meeting were clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia, the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.