Hieromonk Stefan Strengthens Russian-Ethiopian Church Relations
Hieromonk Stefan’s Ethiopia visit strengthened ties between the Russian Orthodox Church, the Ethiopian Church, and Russian diplomatic and expatriate communities.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — From January 20 to 23, Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), Secretary for Inter-Christian Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), visited Ethiopia with the blessing of Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk. The trip included high-level meetings with both church and state officials in Addis Ababa.
On January 20, Fr. Stefan met with Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia E.E. Terekhin at the Russian Embassy, discussing church-diplomatic cooperation. That same day, he also conferred with the Russian Ambassador to Sudan, A.G. Chernovol, who was visiting Addis Ababa. On January 22, Hieromonk Stefan met with the Secretary General and permanent members of the Ethiopian Holy Synod at the Patriarchal and Synodal Complex, conveying greetings and gifts from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’. Bilateral cooperation between the Russian and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches was a key topic.
During his visit, Fr. Stefan also engaged with Ethiopian state officials, including the President’s Office and the Prime Minister’s Social Affairs Adviser, and met the Russian expatriate community at the Russian House, delivering lectures and engaging in discussion about Christianity in Africa.
Previously, the UOJ reported that over 100 people were received into the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa.
