The Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church's DECR took part in an inter-confessional conference in Jerusalem

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, took part in the interreligious conference «Religions meet… and their highest goal is man», which was held in Jerusalem on February 18, 2026. The hierarch’s working visit to Israel began a day earlier, on February 17, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

According to the Moscow Patriarchate’s Office of the Holy See Communication Service, upon arrival at Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Metropolitan Anthony was met by Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeyev), head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem. His assistant, Priest Alexander Ershov, accompanied Metropolitan Anthony on his trip. On the morning of February 18, before the start of the conference, Metropolitan Anthony visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and worshipped its shrines.

His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, honored the interreligious forum with his presence and addressed a welcoming speech. Among the high-ranking participants of the conference were Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the State of Israel A.D. Viktorov, Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow S.V. Cheremin, as well as representatives of various Christian denominations and other religions, including the heads of the Russian Spiritual Missions in Jerusalem and the Mother Superior of the Gorno Nunnery.

The main task set by the organizers was to share the experience of good-neighborliness between traditional religions, as well as to deepen communication and mutual understanding between the peoples and communities of Russia and Israel. In his speech, Metropolitan Anthony emphasized the special importance of this good undertaking, designed to serve the high purpose of strengthening peace, trust and harmony, especially given that religious leaders gathered in the Holy Land.

The Chairman of the All-Russian Orthodox Church also testified to the centuries-long peaceful coexistence of representatives of different nations and traditional religions in Russia. «Orthodox, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists live in peace and harmony, defending traditional values together, helping those in need and each other in solving certain issues,» he noted. Metropolitan Anthony emphasized that the basis of the Russian Orthodox Church’s approach to relations with people of a different faith or ethnicity is the examples given by Christ and the instructions of the Apostles.

«Based on this, we always strive to build an open and honest peacemaking dialog with all those who wish to do so,» Metropolitan Anthony said. He expressed confidence that the Moscow Patriarchate has found many like-minded people among traditional religious communities. Joining efforts to promote peace and goodness, the affirmation of God-given commandments and values, he said, «can serve as a convincing testimony to the world in the face of challenges and problems.»

Recall that on September 17, 2025 in Astana (Kazakhstan), the Primates of the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Moscow held a bilateral meeting. The communication between Patriarchs Theophilus and Kirill became possible, in part, thanks to the «8th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions», in which both Hierarchs are participating.