Jerusalem Patriarch Meets Moscow Patriarch in Kazakhstan amidst Ongoing Orthodox Tensions
ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN – Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow convened for a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, during the 8th Congress of Leaders of World and Customary Religions. The encounter occurred as both religious leaders participate in the interfaith congress hosted in the Kazakh capital.
This meeting takes place against a backdrop of escalating tensions within the Orthodox world, particularly concerning the status of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Patriarch Theophilos’s decision to meet with Patriarch Kirill in Astana contrasts sharply with a recent visit to Constantinople, where he notably avoided a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew-a move interpreted by some as signaling a tilt toward the moscow Patriarchate’s position. the gathering in Kazakhstan offers a neutral ground for dialog, but the symbolism of this specific meeting is likely to be closely watched by observers of orthodox affairs.
The meeting was also attended by Bishop alexios, Patriarch Kirill’s personal secretary, and Archimandrite Philaretos Bulekov, deputy chairman of the Department of external Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. the 8th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions aims to foster interreligious understanding and cooperation, but the bilateral meetings occurring on its sidelines-like the one between Theophilos and Kirill-reveal deeper currents within the global religious landscape.
