On November 26-27, the roundtable “The Russian Orthodox Church and Compatriots: Experience of Cooperation in Asia and Australia” was held in Bangkok, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, headed by Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations.
The roundtable was attended by hierarchs, clergy, and laity of the Russian Orthodox Church, representatives of organizations of Russian compatriots from Asia and Australia, including the Patriarchal Exarch for Southeast Asia, Metropolitan Sergiy of Singapore and Southeast Asia, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi, Archbishop Theofan of Korea, and Bishop Pitirim of Jakarta, vicar of the Diocese of Singapore. There was also a church delegation accompanying the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations.
Among the participants were representatives of public organizations of compatriots and Russian diplomats.
The forum was organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate with the support of the “Russkiy Mir” (“Russian World”) Foundation. The events on similar topics were also held earlier in Brussels, Buenos Aires, Beijing, San Francisco, Johannesburg, Rome, Berlin, Rabat, Seoul, and Budapest. They were held as a continuation of the joint initiative of the Department for External Church Relations and the Department for Work with Compatriots of the Russian Foreign Ministry implemented in 2009.
The meeting was opened by Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, who conveyed greetings and blessings from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
As Metropolitan Anthony noted, the main concern of the Russian Church for compatriots who found themselves outside their Motherland, is pastoral care, spiritual support and consolation. “It has long been noted that church parishes, being in a sense, islands of the Fatherland in a foreign land, have naturally become a centre of spiritual and cultural life for our brothers and sisters. In the parishes, people can pray together, talk about their pressing problems, and simply communicate in their native language”, – emphasized the DECR chairman.
At present, the parishes and church communities of the Moscow Patriarchate operate in almost a hundred countries of the world, where around two thousand clergy and clergymen serve. As the hierarch noted, the church communities abroad help compatriots to smoothly enter the social environment of the host country and preserve their spiritual and cultural identity. Events organized by the church communities themselves or with their direct participation are held in the parishes, Sunday schools are created, educational activities are carried out, assistance is provided to compatriots in mastering the local language and preserving their native language as well as in finding a job, and consultations on legal and social issues are held. Together with Russian embassies, Russian houses, Russian centres of science and culture, organisations of compatriots and their associations, cultural and educational events are held: lectures, pastoral meetings, art exhibitions, charity events, fundraisers for those in need as well as events dedicated to memorable historical dates and holidays.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill has repeatedly said in his speeches that church life and church mission should not be limited to church itself, as the DECR chairman reminded, expressing his confidence that these words are even more relevant to the institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad. “It is gratifying that today the parishes are developing not only religious, but also social activities,” – emphasized vladyka Anthony. “And this is, first of all, related to the influx of new people. The profile of today’s compatriots is changing: there are more and more young and energetic people among them, who are able to serve the development of the parish life with their strength and talents. The Church is also trying to send to the parishes abroad young pastors, who are ready to galvanize the church activity.”
Touching upon the life of the Patriarchal Exarchate of South-East Asia, on the territory of which the current meeting is taking place, the DECR chairman pointed out that thanks to the missionary and educational work of the Patriarchal Exarch, archpastors and pastors, the church life in the parishes of the Exarchate is consistently developing in its various directions. A special mention was made of the Exarchate’s active social work, which covers many people living in the countries of the region. “We are pleased to see the increase in the number of parishioners both from among local residents and our compatriots. We see this as a guarantee of the future of Orthodoxy in Southeast Asia,” – emphasized Metropolitan Anthony. “Such hope is supported by the concern of the hierarchy of the Exarchate for the preparation of the clergy from among the local population.”
Metropolitan Anthony expressed hope that the work within the round table would make it possible to discuss the entire range of the existing issues and also wished the present archpastors and clergy God’s help in their responsible service, which they are carrying out in challenging conditions far beyond the borders of their native land, helping their compatriots to preserve the faith of their ancestors, spiritual traditions, and culture.
During the sessions, speeches were also made by other participants of the round table.
During the two days of the forum, a fruitful exchange of views took place on ways to develop cooperation between the Church, the state, and organizations of compatriots.
