From 16 to 19 October 2004 Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, paid an official visit to Hungary. The visit took place through an invitation from Katalin Szili, President of the Parliament of the Republic of Hungary.

Metropolitan Kirill was greeted at the Budapest airport by Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, administrator of the diocese of Hungary, as well as by V.L. Musatov, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Hungary.

On the same day Metropolitan Kirill met with the clergy of the diocese of Hungary. Addressing the clergy, Metropolitan Kirill mentioned that the acceptance of the Hungarian parishes into the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate at the end of the 1940s and beginning of the 1950s had a providential character since the Hungarian Orthodox faithful received the right to hold their divine services in their native language and translate and publish liturgical texts.

Metropolitan Kirill informed the diocesan clergy of the decisions of the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, which exhorted the Patriarchate of Constantinople to give up its unfounded claims to the property of the Moscow Patriarchate in Hungary, including the Dormition Cathedral in Budapest. Expressing his satisfaction with the decision of the Arbitration Court of Budapest, which rejected the right of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to filing a lawsuit, Metropolitan Kirill noted that this decision bears witness to the independence and impartiality of the Hungarian court, which based its conclusions exclusively on facts and documents.

Metropolitan Kirill also mentioned that the diocesan clergy is faced with a twofold task – to maintain and develop Hungarian Orthodoxy while not forgetting about the pastoral care for the many Russian-speaking believers living in Budapest and other cities in Hungary. Special discernment and pastoral responsibility are required of the diocese’s priests in accomplishing this difficult task.

An exchange of opinions concerning the present state and future of Hungarian Orthodoxy also took place. Archpriests Tibor Imrenyi, Laszlo Boleszka, Istvan Magyar and Ioann Kadar took part in the discussion.

On the same day Metropolitan Kirill and Bishop Hilarion, together with Archpriest Ioann Kadar, Priest Nikolai Kim and Deacon Kirill Tatarka, celebrated the all-night vigil in the Church of St. Sergius in Budapest.

On 17 October Metropolitan Kirill and Bishop Hilarion, together with Archpriests Feriz Berki, Istvan Magyar, Ioann Kadar, Priests Sergij Bilku, and Deacons Miklos Dadani and Kirill Tatarka, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Dormition Cathedral of Budapest. After the Liturgy Bishop Hilarion warmly greeted Metropolitan Kirill.

In his response Metropolitan Kirill pointed out the special responsibility of the clergy and faithful of the diocese for the fate of Hungarian Orthodoxy. Recalling his previous visit to Hungary in 2001, Metropolitan Kirill noted many positive changes that took place in the diocese during the recent past. “Today both the clergy and faithful of our diocese have become more united, which is very important since our flock here is multinational and multicultural”, stressed the Metropolitan. “Wherever there are differences in faith, language, culture and character, a special spiritual vision and watchfulness are necessary to prevent temptations and maintain the unity of the Christian community. In this regard I would like to thank Bishop Hilarion for his archpastoral wisdom, love for people and openness, which foster unity among people and strengthen ties among all the Orthodox faithful in Hungary. I would also like to thank the diocesan clergy, especially Father Feriz, a veteran of our diocese and long-time head of the Hungarian Orthodox deanery, as well as all those who labour for the salvation of the faithful and the good of the one Orthodox Christian community of Hungary.”

Metropolitan Kirill also presented Bishop Hilarion with a memorial egkolpion in gratitude for his archpastoral service and care for the Orthodox faithful of Hungary, wishing him many good years of service to Christ’s Church.

After the service Metropolitan Kirill met with parishioners of the Dormition Cathedral in the Cathedral’s parish hall. He also met there with Pastor Tibor Görög, General Secretary of the Ecumenical Council of Churches of Hungary.

On the same day Metropolitan Kirill visited the Church of the Holy Martyr Alexandra in Üröm, built in 1803 by the ruler of Hungary Jozsef Habsburg on the burial place of his wife – Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna Romanova, daughter of the Russian Emperor Paul I. After viewing the church, Metropolitan Kirill, accompanied by Bishop Hilarion, Archpriest Ioann Kadar and Priest Nikolai Kim, as well as by the Mayor of Üröm G. Laboda, descended into the crypt, where a memorial service for the repose of the soul of the Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna took place. After the visit Metropolitan Kirill made an entry into the book of special guests.

On 18 October Metropolitan Kirill met with P. Kiss, Vice-Premier of the Government of the Republic of Hungary and Minister of the Chancery of the Prime Minister. Bishop Hilarion, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Hungary V.L. Musatov and the Secretary of State of the Republic of Hungary for Church Matters G. Kalman, also took part in the talk.

During the meeting Metropolitan Kirill informed the Vice-Premier of the Hungarian Government about the activities of the European Council of Religious Leaders, as well as the work of the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European International Organizations, headed by Bishop Hilarion, whose mission is to foster the deepening of the dialogue between our Church and the European Union. Metropolitan Kirill remarked that the main theme of this dialogue is the necessity of harmonizing the liberal principle, based on the idea of personal freedom, with the principle of moral responsibility, taken from the spiritual and religious legacy of the European people. The Metropolitan stressed that the future of Europe depends on the outcome of this dialogue.

On the same day Metropolitan Kirill met with Deputy Chairman of the Committee for International Affairs M. Balla and committee advisor P. Feryes in the Parliament of the Hungarian Republic. Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria and Ambassador V.L. Musatov took part in the meeting, during which the subjects of bilateral Russian-Hungarian relations, inter-church and inter-religious dialogue and the role of the Churches in a united Europe were discussed.

The same questions were discussed at a meeting between Metropolitan Kirill and the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Church and Minority Affairs. L. Szafalvy, Chairman of the Committee, Deputy Chairmen L. Donat and T. Zuckman, Committee advisor I. Ars, Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria and A.G. Nerozin, advisor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Hungary, participated in the meeting.

On the same day the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Hungary V.L. Musatov held a lunch in honour of Metropolitan Kirill. Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, Bishop Lukian of Buda (Serbian Orthodox Church), Bishop Sophrony of Gyula (Romanian Orthodox Church), Secretary of State for Church Affairs G. Kalman, Deputy Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs E. Boros and Deputy Mayor of the city of Üröm T. Vidkovic, were present at the lunch.

In the evening of the same day a meeting was held between Metropolitan Kirill and Cardinal Peter Erdö, Archbishop of Esztergom and Budapest and Primate of the Roman Catholic Church of Hungary. Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria and Bishop L. Kiss Rigo, Assistant of the Cardinal, also took part. During the meeting Metropolitan Kirill informed the Cardinal of the problems that exist between Orthodox and Catholics on the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church. Vladyka also stressed the Moscow Patriarchate’s readiness for a dialogue that would foster the solving of these problems and told him about the creation of a bilateral committee whose task would include the examining of all disputed questions.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church of Hungary then noted the high level of cooperation between his church structure and the Hungarian diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate. The Cardinal spoke with pleasure about his participation on 11 September in the festivities of the translation of the remains of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna to the place of their historic rest – the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Martyr Empress Alexandra in Üröm. The Archbishop expressed his hopes that positive accomplishments might be achieved at the inter-church level, necessary for the success of Christian witness in a united Europe.

On 19 October Metropolitan Kirill met with the President of the Republic of Hungary Ferenc Madl and the President of Parliament Katalin Szili. Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria took part in both meetings.