Moscow Patriarchate dignitary in Kosovo

Head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archbishop Ilarion of Volokolamsk is in Gračanica, reports said.

The Russian Orthodox Church dignitary said that he had come to pay tribute to one of the oldest cradles of the Orthodox Christianity, where big historic events took place.

Ilarion, who is on a several-day visit to the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Eparchy of Raška and Prizren, said that the Russian Church has always stood and always will stand together with the SPC in all its times of troubles.

He called on the Gračanica monastery monks and nuns not leave this land and temples, because, as he explained, for as long as they are there, the Orthodox religion will be preserved.

The guest from Russia was welcomed in the province by Bishop Artemije.

Artemije stated that the visit is evidence of Archbishop Ilarion’s “love and care for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija”, and that they will “try to inform him about the true state of affairs in the field, in order for him to be able to inform the Russian patriarch”.