On August 31, 2019, at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Primate of the Malankara Orthodox Church (India), His Holiness Catholicos Vasily Mar Thomas II, arrived in Russia. During the official visit, he is accompanied by: Metropolitan Zakharia Mar Nikolovos, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Malankara Church; Metropolitan Johanon Mar Dioscoros, Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Malancar Church; Priest Abraham Thomas, Secretary of the Department for External Church Relations of the Malancar Church; Priest Asvin Zefrin Fernandez, Head of the Protocol Service of the Holy Catholicos; Priest Jiss Johnson, Personal Secretary of the Holy Catholicos; Jacob Matthew, member of the Church Council of the Malancar Church; Kevin George Cauchy, Head of Communication Services, External Church Relations Department, Malancar Church; Dr. C. Ipen,

At Domodedovo Airport, His Holiness was met by Bishop of Resurrection Dionisy, First Vicar of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in the City of Moscow, Deputy Head of the Russian Orthodox Church; Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), Secretary for Inter-Christian Relations of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archpriest Sergei Tocheny, Head of the Office of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate for the reception of foreign delegations, R.A. Akhmatkhanov, DECR Secretariat for Inter-Christian Relations.

On the same day, the guests visited the Pokrovsky Stavropegial Convent, where they bowed to the honest relics of the blessed Matrona of Moscow, examined the temples and buildings of the cloister, met with the abbess of the monastery Abbess Feofania (Miskina) and the pupils of the monastery shelter for girls.

The program of the visit includes a meeting with His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, negotiations with the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, visiting churches and monasteries in Moscow and the Moscow Region, as well as religious educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The visit will last until September 5th.

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The Malankar Church is a member of the family of Ancient Eastern Churches along with the Coptic, Syrian, Ethiopian, Eritrean Churches and the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to legend, it was founded by the holy Apostle Thomas in the 1st century. Its center is located in Kerala in India. There are dioceses and parishes in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Europe and North America. Her Primate’s last visit to Russia took place in 1976.