Patriarch of Jerusalem Meets with Russian Ecclesiastical Mission
The head of the Mission congratulated Theophilus III on the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the holy priesthood.
JERUSALEM — On June 30, 2025, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem welcomed Archimandrite Vassianos, Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, along with Archimandrite Nikon and the nun Seraphima.
During the visit, Vassianos invited the Patriarch to the Feast of the Nativity of the Forerunner at the Russian Monastery in Gorny, congratulated him on 50 years of priesthood, and presented a letter of gratitude for the Jerusalem Patriarchate’s support of the Russian Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky near the Holy Sepulchre.
Patriarch Theophilos III remains a firm supporter of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church under Metropolitan Onufriy. In a recent meeting with a Ukrainian delegation in Jerusalem, he expressed confidence in Onufriy’s leadership, stating, “God chose His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, the most suitable person for the difficult situation in which the Ukrainian people find themselves now, and he will have the strength to overcome the schism which has occurred in Ukraine."
In 2015, addressing Ukrainian radical politicians, Theophilos described the so-called “Kiev Patriarchate” under Philaret as “our lost brothers” who have strayed from the true Church.
