page_title: Hilarion (Alfeyev)
section_title: Ecumenical activity
hierarchical_section_title: Hilarion (Alfeyev) / Biography / Ecumenical activity
caption_attribution_description: English: Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk speaks at Christian Theological Academy in Warsaw
context_page_description: Hilarion Alfeyev is a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church. At present he is the titular Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations and a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Moscow. He is also a noted theologian, church historian and composer and has published books on dogmatic theology, patristics and church history as well as numerous compositions for choir and orchestra.
context_section_description: Alfeyev is a member of the Executive and Central Committees of the World Council of Churches, of the Presidium of 'Faith and Order' Commission, as well as of numerous bilateral theological dialogues. In 1998 he headed the 5-member Moscow Patriarchate delegation to the 8th WCC Assembly in Harare, and in February 2006 head the Moscow Patriarchate's 21-member delegation to the 9th Assembly in Porto Alegre.
  Alfeyev is a permanent member of the Joint International Commissions for the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, between the Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion, and between the Orthodox Church and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. He is also interested in interfaith dialogue among all major world religions, and currently sits on the Board of World Religious Leaders for the Elijah Interfaith Institute.
  On 10 October 2007, Alfeyev walked out of an important meeting of the Orthodox-Catholic International Theological Commission  at Ravenna, in protest against the choice of delegates by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. His action was approved by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.
  On 5 October 2008, Alfeyev took part in the "Bible marathon" organized by the Italian state TV channel RAI-Uno.  He read Chapter Two from the Book of Genesis, immediately following Pope Benedict XVI, who read Chapter One. Alfeyev was followed by 1246 readers from various countries.
  In September 2009, at the invitation of Cardinal Walter Kasper, he visited Pope Benedict XVI and several officials of the Roman Curia who have key roles in Catholic ecumenical dialogue.
  Late in 2010, Alfeyev spoke to senior Anglican bishops and professors at the Nikean Club dinner at Lambeth Palace, criticizing proposals for the ordination of women as bishops and the toleration of homosexual activity by some Anglicans.
  In April 2017, he expressed his approval of the Supreme Court decision to allow a ban of the worship of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation. He claims that the Witnesses beliefs that do not coincide with those of his faith, such as the rejection of the Trinity doctrine, are reason to outlaw their religion.
caption: Metropolitan Hilarion speaking at the Christian Theological Academy in Warsaw in 2010
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