The Russian Patriarch Kirilos, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, is going to pay a visit to the Antioch Patriarchate.

Archbishop Ilarion, the head of the external affairs in the Russian Patriarchate, announced this news during his visit to the Antioch Patriarchate last Tuesday, in which he met His Beatitude, the Patriarch Ignatius the Forth Hazeem, along with the Russian ambassador in Damascus Mr. Sergy Kiritsinko. They discussed the intended visit in accordance to what was published by the Russian press.

It has not been announced officially yet  the exact time of the  visit, or whether the Russian Patriarch will visit only Syria, The place of the Patriarchal See, or other countries as well. However, this visit will be the first official visit for the Russian Patriarch to the Antioch Patriarchate after his appointment as Patriarch of Russia last February.

The Patriarchate of Antioch and all the east, which was founded by Saints Paul and Peter around the year 37, occupies  the third honorary position in " Alzebtikha list" among fifteen independent orthodox churches in the world. The order of the churches in the list depends on many factors, the most important of which are the seniority and the cultural and the political position of the town in which the Apostolic See exists.