BUENOS AIRES: December 6, 2011
Metropolitan Amphilohije of Montenegro and the Coastlands Visits Holy Resurrection Cathedral

On Saturday, October 29, 2011, His Eminence Archbishop of Cetinje, Metropolitan Amphilohije of Montenegro and the Coastlands of the Serbian Orthodox Church, accompanied by his secretary-deacon, came for all-night vigil at Holy Resurrection Cathedral of the South American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

Metropolitan Amphilohije was in Argentina in connection with the establishment of the episcopal see of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Buenos Aires. Vladyka had been appointed the administrating hierarch for the new South American diocese.

After vigil, His Grace Bishop John of Caracas and South America expressed his heartfelt greetings to His Eminence, “a long-time friend of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.” Vladyka John noted the success of the joint mission of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches in South America. Recalling Metropolitan Amphilohije’s participation in the IV All-Diaspora Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia held in San Francisco in 2006, Bishop John emphasized the invaluable role the Serbian Orthodox Church and Vladyka Amphilohije himself played in achieving unity within the Russian Orthodox Church and in overcoming division between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church Abroad.

Metropolitan Amphilohije then addressed the worshipers in Russian. In response to Vladyka John, he expressed his great joy at the healing of the division with the fraternal Russian Orthodox Church, stressing the importance of the mission which the Russian Church Abroad carried out in South America for decades.

A reception was then held with the important guest at the parish hall. Vladyka Amphilohije and his secretary speak fluent Russian. They enthusiastically answered questions posed by those in attendance and had a great deal of informative and edifying to share. Vladyka gave everyone small wooden crosses blessed over the tomb of St Basil of Ostrog.

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