The first Orthodox monastery in Austria in the works

(Patriarchate.org) - From November 6-11, 2014, His All-Holiness visited Vienna, Austria, for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Pro Oriente, a foundation created to improve relations between the divided Christian Churches. On Saturday, the 8th of November, after a special prayer and doxology, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew addressed the international leaders and distinguished participants at the University of Vienna. Those in attendance also included Coptic Pope Tawadros and Kurt Cardinal Koch, representing Pope Francis. During his visit, in addition to meeting with a number of local political figures, His All-Holiness met with Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz. Moreover, he was presented with a significant property in the Burgenland town of St. Andrä am Zicksee by the Roman Catholic Bishop Ägidius Zsifkovics of Eisenstadt, which was in turn offered to the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Austria with the prospect of building the first Orthodox monastery in Austria.