On November 7-15, 2024, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Tawadros II of the Coptic Church, a delegation of monks from the Moscow Patriarchate visited Egypt for the purpose of pilgrimage to places associated with the history of the emergence and flourishing of Christian monasticism, as well as to get acquainted with the contemporary life of male and female monasteries of the Coptic Church.
The trip took place in the context of the development of dialog between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church within the framework of the activities of the relevant bilateral Commission.
The trip took place in the context of the development of dialog between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church within the framework of the activities of the relevant bilateral Commission.
The delegation was headed by Patriarchal Exarch of Africa Metropolitan Constantine of Zaraisk. It included Bishop Kliment of Krasnoslobodsk and Temnikovsk; Vicar of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa Bishop Evfimy of Lukhovitsk; Secretary of the Department for External Church Relations for inter-Christian relations, Hieromonk Stephan (Igumnov); Abbot of the «Cross Desert» (Sochinsk Eparchy) Hegumen Lev (Gryzun); Vicar of St. Michael the Archangel Monastery in the village of Kozikha (Novosibirsk Eparchy) Hegumen Leo (Gryzun); Vicar of the Monastery of St. Michael the Archangel in the village of Kozikha (Novosibirsk Eparchy) Hegumen Leo (Gryzun) Nikolai (Trachev); Hegumen Adrian (Pashin), head of the theology department of the Moscow Theological Academy; Hegumen Drosida (Sorokopud), abbess of the Trinity-Georgievsky Convent in Sochi; Archpriest Alexander Fominykh, clergyman of the Abakan Diocese Archpriest Alexander Fominykh; senior lecturer of the Theology Department of the Moscow Theological Academy, Priest Dimitriy Artemkin; Hieromonk Mark (Akhmatkhanov) of the Russian Orthodox Church; Moscow Patriarchate staff members Nun Siluana (Chugunkina) and Nun Antonia (Potapova); representatives of monasticism Krasnoslobodskaya Diocese; monks Nun Platonida (Veitzel) and Nun Serafima (Stonis); personal secretary of Metropolitan Konstantin of Zaraisk, Reader V. Dendyuk; Subdeaconess Platonida (Veitzel) and Subdeaconess Serafima (Stonis). Dendyuk; subdeacon V. Starkov.
On November 7, the delegation arrived in the Nitria Desert (Wadi al-Natrun) located between Cairo and Alexandria — the birthplace of Christian monasticism.
The delegation arrived in the Nitria Desert (Wadi al-Natrun) located between Cairo and Alexandria.
The first stop of the pilgrims in the Nitria Desert was the monastery of St. Macarius the Great, founded in 360 by this revered saint throughout the Christian world and is the place of his earthly exploits and blessed death, described in the Egyptian Paterik. Metropolitan Constantine and the members of the delegation worshiped the honorable St. Macarius the Great in the monastery temples The delegation visited the relics of St. Macarius and other great ascetics and martyrs. The members of the delegation communicated with the brethren of the monastery.
On November 8, the pilgrims arrived at the Lavra of the Nitri Desert — the monastery of the Monk Paisios the Great (Anba Bishoy), founded by him around 357. The guests worshipped the relics of this saint of God and many other saints resting in the monastery. The guests from Russia were given a tour of the Patriarchal and Synodal Center «Logos» — one of the administrative complexes of the Coptic Church, where many events of historical importance took place, including the meetings of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Ancient Eastern Churches, as well as the Meeting of the Local Orthodox and Ancient Oriental Churches held on September 16-17, 2024.
A meeting of the Local Orthodox and Ancient Oriental Churches.
A meeting was held with Bishop Agapius, the rector of the Monk Paisios Monastery, and the brethren.
A meeting was held with the rector of the Monk Paisios Monastery, Bishop Agapius, and the brethren.
Then the Russian pilgrims visited the monastery of the Syrians (as-Suriani), founded at the end of the IV century by disciples of the Monk Paisius the Great on the site where his distant cell was located, and received its name in memory of the stay here for several centuries of monks from Syria. From this ancient The name of St. Ephrem the Syrian is closely connected with the monastery, — the renowned ascetic once came here to meet with St. Paisios. On the territory of the monastery even today one can see a tree bearing fruit for over one and a half thousand years, which grew from the staff of St. Ephrem stuck in the ground, — a living testimony of the meeting of the two great fathers, the founders of Christian monasticism. The monastery carefully preserves the cell of the Monk Abba Paisius, in which he performed the feat of unsleeping prayer.
The guests had fraternal communication with the monastery's residents.
At the end of their stay in the Nitria Desert, the delegation visited the monastery of the Romans (al-Baramus). This monastery, founded by St. Macarius the Great around 335, is considered to be the first monastery in the whole Christian world. It received its name in memory of the sons of the Roman emperor Valentinian — Maximina and Domitia, who asceticized here at the end of the IV century under the leadership of the Monk Macarius. Representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate were warmly welcomed by the brethren of the monastery. Vladyka Constantine and members of the delegation worshiped the relics of St. Paphnutius the Great, St. Moses Murin, St. Isidore, and other desert fathers who once lived in the monastery, as well as the site of the feats of St. Arsenius The Great. The pilgrims visited the ancient monastery refectory, built in the first decades of the monastery's history. It represents one of the rooms of the cathedral temple of the monastery, where many generations of monks made common meals-agape after the Sunday Liturgy, before going into the desert for solitary prayers.
On November 9, the pilgrims arrived in Cairo and worshiped at the shrines of the ancient Christian center of the Egyptian capital. The delegation visited the famous «Hanging Church» (Muallaqa), built on the ruins of the ancient Roman fortress «Babylon Egyptian» and for a long time was the cathedral of the Coptic Patriarchs. The guests visited the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, where they worshipped the relics of the original Christian martyrs. This Cairo church was built in the 4th century over the grotto where the Holy Family stayed for three months during their forced flight to Egypt from Herod's persecution.
Then there was a visit to the church of the Great Martyr Barbara, where part of her holy relics reside, as well as part of the relics of St. Juliana, St. Damiana and other saints of God. Then the pilgrims got acquainted with the exposition of the Coptic Museum and visited the Cairo National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
On November 10, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church arrived at the The Eastern Desert near the Red Sea, where the great shrines of the Christian world are located — the monasteries of St. Anthony the Great and St. Paul of Thebes.
The first stop in the Eastern Desert was the monastery of St. Paul.
The first stop in the Eastern Desert was the Monastery of St. Paul. Metropolitan Constantine and members of the delegation visited the cave church of St. Paul of Thebes and worshiped the tomb of the Monk at the very place where once miraculously appeared from the desert lions dug the grave of the deceased elder. The monks of the monastery told the pilgrims about its history, showed the holy shrines of the Lavra, the ancient mill, the ancient refectory and the monastery museum, as well as the spring of St. Paul, flowing from a height of about 300 meters and every day giving the brethren about four cubic meters of water.
On the same day, Metropolitan Constantine of Zaraisk conducted the Divine Liturgy at the monastery cave church of St. Mark the Sublime, and Bishop Evfimy of Lukhovitsky — vicar of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa; at the parish of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Cairo.
The delegation met with the abbot of the monastery, Bishop Daniel, chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for Monasteries and Monasticism of the Coptic Church.
On November 11, the pilgrims visited the Lavra of St. Anthony the Great.
Members of the delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate ascended the mountain where the cave cell of St. Anthony is located, where he lived for about 70 years, and performed a prayer service in it.
The pilgrims visited the monastery churches and worshipped the shrines located there.
The pilgrims visited the monastery temples and worshiped the shrines located in them, visited the monastery museum and the spring of St. Anthony. There was a communication with the brethren of the monastery.
On November 13, the pilgrims returned to Cairo, on their way to visit the Coptic Cathedral of the Nativity in the New Administrative Capital of Egypt — the largest Christian temple complex in the Middle East. The cathedral was inaugurated and consecrated on January 6, 2019, in the presence of Egyptian President A. al-Sisi.
The delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church visited the Cairo women's monastery of St. Mercury the Martyr Philopatra (Abu Seifen), where it was solemnly welcomed by its abbess Abbess Kiria and the nuns.
On November 14, the delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate visited the temple and administrative complex of the Coptic Patriarchate in Cairo's Abbasiya district and met with His Holiness Patriarch Tawadros II, Primate of the Coptic Church.
The pilgrims from Russia then visited the Monastery of St. Theodore Stratilat, located in the Old City, where they were received by its abbess Abbess Abbess Edrosis and the sisters.
In the evening of the same day, the members of the delegation attended the opening of the fifth meeting of the Commission for Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church.
On November 15, the members of the delegation departed for Russia.
In the course of the visit, the delegation was accompanied by Bishop Severius, Rector of the Monasteries of St. Thomas and St. Victor the Martyr in Hatatba, Hieromonk Daoud el-Anthony, representative of the Coptic Church in Russia, Advisor to His Holiness Patriarch Tawadros A. Milad, monks of the Coptic Church in Russia, and monks of the Coptic Church in Russia. Milad, nuns of the Coptic Church.
EVCS Communication Service/Patriarchy.ru
