On December 9, 2024, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk arrived on a working visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain. The hierarch is accompanied on his trip by Archimandrite Alexander (Zarkeshev), rector of the Church of St. Philip the Apostle in Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), and Priest Nikolai Vasin, secretary to the chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Alexander Skosyrev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Bahrain, met the Vladyka and his companions at Bahrain's international airport.
On the same day, Metropolitan Anthony met with Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, Minister of Transport and Telecommunications of Bahrain, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Hamad World Center for Peaceful Coexistence.
In the course of a lengthy conversation, the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations spoke about the state of interreligious relations in Russia and the activities of the Department for External Church Relations in the context of the development of Orthodox-Muslim dialog.
In turn, Sheikh Al-Khalifa warmly welcomed the distinguished guest and expressed his joy at the hierarch's visit to the Kingdom Bahrain. He emphasized the importance of deepening knowledge about each other for representatives of traditional religions, as well as the need to develop religious education in this context.
The participants were unanimous that Christianity and Islam have close concepts of traditional moral and family values.
The participants of the meeting were unanimous that Christianity and Islam have close notions of traditional moral and family values.
Metropolitan Anthony thanked Sheikh Al Khalifa for the kind attitude and favor that the Russian Orthodox community in Bahrain enjoys. At the end of the meeting the parties exchanged memorable gifts.
EOCS Communication Service/Patriarchy.ru
