Met. Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine visits the Holy Land

(mospat.ru) - His Beatitude Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, arrived in the Holy Land on April 5, 2011, for a pilgrimage. He was accompanied by Archbishops Theodore of Mukachevo and Uzhgorod and Alexander of Pereyaslavl-Khmelnitsky, as well as Mr. Igor Rybakov, chairman of the Reforms for the Sake of the Future faction in the Ukrainian Supreme Rada.

The high guest was welcomed to the Russian Orthodox Mission in Jerusalem by the head of the Mission, Archimandrite Isidore.

On April 6, the delegation of Ukrainian pilgrims was received in audience by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and All Palestine.

On April 7, the Day of the Annunciation, the pilgrims visited Nazareth, where Metropolitan Vladimir and his archbishops concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem.

The pilgrims also went to Galilee and the Jordan, the website of the Russian Orthodox Mission reports.

On the eve of their departure on April 9, His Beatitude Vladimir officiated at vespers at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

In conclusion of his pilgrimage, His Beatitude thanked all members of the Russian Orthodox Mission for the warm welcome.