Patriarch Theophilos III, Primate of the Church of Jerusalem, was awarded an honorary order of the Romanian Patriarchate

Patriarch Theophilos III, Primate of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, was awarded the Order of Faith and Communion, the highest decoration awarded by the Romanian Orthodox Church for the defense of Orthodoxy and the strengthening of inter-church unity. According to the Basilica.ro news outlet, the award was presented on behalf of Patriarch Daniel of Romania.

The award ceremony was conducted by Archimandrite Ioan Meiu, who heads the Romanian Church’s representation in the Holy Land. During the official meeting, the parties touched upon important aspects of inter-church cooperation and discussed the need to preserve canonical order in the modern Orthodox community. The honorary award included a diploma and an encolpion depicting the Holy Trinity.

In addition to the official order, Archimandrite John presented Patriarch Theophilos with a special gift from his clergy — a silver filigree lamp to be placed at the Holy Sepulchre. This gesture was a symbol of deep respect for the ministry of the Primate of the Jerusalem Church.

The Order of Faith and Communion is a significant award of the Romanian Patriarchate, which is given for exceptional merit in defending the faith and promoting a positive image of the Orthodox Church both within Romania and internationally.