Moscow Patriarchate's External Affairs Chief To Speak At Religious Freedom Summit In US

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the head of the Moscow Patriarchate's external relations department, told Sputnik that he had arrived in the United States to speak at the International Religious Freedom Summit 2021 and meet with some congressmen and religious figures

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th July, 2021) Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the head of the Moscow Patriarchate's external relations department, told Sputnik that he had arrived in the United States to speak at the International Religious Freedom Summit 2021 and meet with some congressmen and religious figures.

He arrived in New York on July 10 and met with Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada, the leader of the Orthodox Church in America, which gained independence from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1970. The two served a joint liturgy and discussed bilateral church relations, and global challenges, including the pandemic.

Metropolitan Hilarion also served a liturgy on July 12 on the occasion of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul together with the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), Metropolitan Hilarion.

"The main purpose of the visit is to participate in the summit on religious freedom, which will be held on July 13-15 in Washington.

I have received an invitation to speak at this summit. My speech is scheduled for [July] 14," Metropolitan Hilarion said.

The clergyman is also due to meet with several current and former congressmen, as well as former US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback on the sidelines of the summit. The metropolitan did not reveal the topics of the upcoming meetings and speeches.

Any exchange of opinions and information between the religious representatives of both countries would be "useful for a dialogue," Hilarion went on, adding that he welcomed the Geneva summit of presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden.

"I really hope that some other steps will follow it [the June summit], which will be change relations between the two countries for the better," Metropolitan Hilarion said.

His visit to the US is due to end on July 15.