China allows 1st ordinations of Russian Orthodox priests in 60 years

May 19, 2015

The Chinese government has allowed the ordination of Russian Orthodox priests, for the first time in 60 years, the AsiaNews service reports.

Metropolitan Hilarion, who heads the external-affairs department of the Moscow patriarchate, announced the ordinations after his return from a visit to China. His trip came shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Moscow, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Orthodox Patriarch Kirill.

Metropolitan Hilarion reported “very constructive talks” with government officials in Beijing, adding that China is a society that properly values the “role of culture, traditions and the moral factor in shaping the lives of people and individuals."

China’s support for the Russian Orthodox Church is a sign of the warming of relations between Moscow and Beijing, at a time when Russia is increasingly at odds with the West.

 

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Further information:

• Moscow Patriarchate: China authorises the ordination of Chinese Orthodox priests on its territory (AsiaNews)