Assistant Bishop Marc of Neamț, of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Western Europe, attended the 33rd meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of Benelux, held on Wednesday in Brussels, Belgium.
The hierarch attended as the representative of Metropolitan Iosif of Western and Southern Europe.
Other participants included Metropolitan Isaak (Patriarchate of Antioch), Bishop Simeon of Domodedovo (Archdiocese of Orthodox Churches of Russian Tradition in Western Europe – Moscow Patriarchate), Bishop Dositheus (Patriarchate of Georgia) and Assistant Bishop Joachim of Apollonia, representing Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium (Ecumenical Patriarchate).
Topics included the situation of Christians in the Middle East and the persecution they face, as well as pastoral and missionary cooperation among Orthodox Churches in the region.
Solidarity with Christians in the Middle East
During the meeting, the bishops condemned the attack on an Orthodox church in Jordan and drew attention to the persecution and difficulties facing Christian communities in Lebanon, Syria and other regions.
Another agenda item was the work of Orthodox theological educational institutions in the Benelux region.
The bishops also discussed youth initiatives, including organising a camp and the possibility of holding an Orthodox youth festival in 2028 to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Orthodox Youth Movement in Belgium.
Patriarch Daniel’s planned visit
The bishops also discussed a possible official visit by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church, scheduled for 2027, to Brussels.
They considered the possibility of a meeting between members of the Assembly and the Romanian Patriarch during his visit.
At the conclusion of the discussions, participants agreed that the next meeting would take place on 15 June 2027.
The Assembly of Orthodox Bishops of Benelux was established in June 2009 to coordinate Orthodox pastoral activities across Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
