Interview with Chief of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem

Father Roman Krassovsky. Source: Financial Times

JERUSALEM — The Holy Synod of ROCOR has published an interview with Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.

“The country is in a state of emergency,” Father Roman said. “At different times, during the day and night, rockets are flying. In Israel, we are warned about the attacks, and we receive a notification on our phones about ten minutes in advance. But the Palestinians do not have this.”

The interviewer asked Father Roman how the wars in Palestine and Iran have affected their work. “The mission is living as usual,” he replied. “Divine services continue. We have already gotten used to such things. Of course, we need to be careful, to seek shelter in case of an attack and stay there. But life goes on. Of course, pilgrims cannot come to us, and that is a problem. All flights are canceled for the next several weeks. We pray that this will all end soon.

Father Roman told the interviewer that he is not frightened by the violence—that maybe he has gotten used to it. The interviewer expressed his surprise, but Father Roman simply laughed and said:

We all walk under God. If it's fated for a rocket to fall on my head, well, what can I do about it? Of course, you have to take precautions when necessary – hide in a shelter. Here, in the Middle East, it has become a part of life. But in reality, it’s not as scary as it may seem after television reports. Of course, it’s dangerous – in the sense that rockets fall, and people die. But on the other hand, we are talking right now, and it is quiet here. Perhaps in the evening the siren will sound and these things will fly, but for now, nothing has fallen on Jerusalem.

Read the full interview on ROCOR’s website.

The Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem was founded in 1847 to aid the local Orthodox population, as well as to care for Russian pilgrims in the Holy Land.

Father Roman was born in the United States to a family of Russian extraction. Saint John of San Francisco was a close friend of his parents and a frequent guest in their home.

Heb also serves as Hegumen of the Monastery of the Ascension. Oil from Ascension’s olive grove was used in the coronation of King Charles III of England.

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