Cardinal Al Rahi To Make a Historical Visit to Moscow

Maronite Blogger ^ | 2/23/13

[marshmallow]

The Patriarch of Antioch and all the East of Maronites, Mar Bechara Boutros Al Rahi will be soon traveling to Moscow on a visit with significant implications, both ecumenical and political-humanitarian. From 26 February to 1 March, before travelling to Rome for the Conclave, the Cardinal Patriarch will have a series of high level meetings in the Russian capital with leading Russian politicians and with prominent members of the Patriarchate of Moscow.

The tight programme of Patriarch Al Rahi’s visit will start with a meeting with the local Lebanese community at the church of San Maron, to which His Beatitude will donate a relic of the patron Saint and where there will be a Maronite liturgical service. On 27 February there will be a meeting with Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the department for foreign relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow, and then lunch with Kirill I, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia. The day after, in the morning , Patriarch Al Rahi will be received by Sergej Naryshkin, Chairman of the Duma, the Lower House of the Russian Parliament.

Friday 1 March the Patriarch will celebrate the liturgy at the Catholic Immaculate Conception Cathedral and meet Archbishop Paolo Pezzi, Ordinary of the Mother of God Catholic archdiocese in Moscow.