Met. Agafangel Holy Land Visit

Metropolitan Agafangel arrived at the airport in Tel Aviv on May 17, at 00:30 with the Abbess Alexandra, Deacon Michael and the nun Raphael.  He was met by Rev. Roman Radwan and his assistant, Alexander.  All went together to the parish in honor of St. George in Nazareth, whose rector is Rev. Igumen Roman.

The temple in the city of Nazareth in honor of St. George the Victorious, which is served by Igumen Roman, built in the 12th century.

Next to the temple of The Great Martyr George is being built a large three-level complex, on the third floor of which, will be a new large temple.  Construction work is not yet finished, but the service at Pascha, due to the large number of parishioners, was  already held in it..

In the evening of that day in the church of St. George, built in the 12th century, there took place the evening service, and on Saturday May 18 Metropolitan Agafangel served there the Divine Liturgy.

After the Liturgy, Vladyka Agafangel spoke with a representative of The Sofia Society-District [?], Vladyka Agafangel officially blessed the activities of The Sofia Society.  Then Metropolitan Agafangel visited various area churches.  He visited the church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, the main shrine [holy object], of which is the water spring well, from which the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary,  the Good News of her birth of our Lord.

In the evening of that day,  Vladyka Agafangel prayed in the evening service in the church of The Great Martyr George. After the service, there was a meeting of the Metropolitan with a group of parishioners, at which Vladyka was informed about our Church,[there],  and about which there was an exchange of views in a very brotherly and friendly environment.

The next day, the clergy, headed by Metropolitan Agafangel, served  Sunday Divine Liturgy, after which he left for Jerusalem. Vladyka and his companions on the same day, visited the Mount of Olives Ascension Monastery (ROCOR-MP), where they prayed in the temple of the Ascension of Christ and at the place of the finding of he Holy Head of St. John the Baptist.  The troparion of the Resurrection of Christ was  sung at the graves of Archimandrite. Antonin Kapustin and Abbess Tamara.

A place where the Mother of God was standing at the time of the Ascension of the Lord.

The chapel over the place where the head of St. John the Baptist was found.

"A little later,  Vladyka  Agafangel had a conversation with the prisoner, Patriarch Irenaeus and And received his blessing for his ministry in the Holy Land. His Beatitude Irenaeus, preached to all through the window, and gave his patriarchal blessing. The question was asked to the porter,[guard of the door], if anyone may [is allowed to], walk up to the door leading to the room in which Pat. Irenaeus  is [locked in], with the reply: ' it is strictly forbidden. Patriarch Irenaeus is in complete isolation!'."

Comment: Thus, the rigthtful canonical Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Holiness Patriarch IRENAEUS, with whom our ROCA is in total and fraternal communion , has blessed our ROCA and our  head, Metropolitan Agafangel, to both exist and to minister in his territory, the Holy Land and environs. None of the 'fragments'; have requested this blessing, nor received it.

After a phone conversation with Patriarch Irenaeus, the  pilgrims venerated the Holy Sepulcher, which is located near this  place of the confinement of the Patriarch, and also, the place for the veneration of Christ's Crucifixion – the  Calvary Annointing Stone, and the other holy places under the same roof in the same complex of buildings.

Holy Sepulchre.(with Met. Agafangel sitting to the front left)-

Calvary.

The Tomb of Adam's [skull], under Golgotha.

Stone of Unction.

Entrance to the complex of the Holy Sepulchre.

On Monday, May 20, the pilgrims visited the Garden of Gethsemane, where the age of some of the olive trees is over 2000 years old,  and which trees were growing  during the time of Christ's earthly life.  Next to the garden is a Catholic church in which, according to the Latins, is the place where the Lord prayed before Judas approached him with the soldiers.

Place in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed.

Then Vladyka Agafangel  visited the church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, where all were honored to be able to venerate  the Tomb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Tomb of The Mother of God.

Coffin of The Mother of God.

Thereafter, the pilgrims sang the Troparion of the Resurrection at the temple on the site of The Stoning of the First Martyr Archdeacon Stephen, which is located nearby.  In the evening of that day everyone prayed at the Holy Sepulchre and [those holy places] attached to that great shrine.  Near the coffin, [regretably], is the Cathedral of the [current usurper ruling] Patriarch of Jerusalem [Theopholis], - the main place where  Patriarch Irenaeus, is excluded from.

The next day, the morning of May 21, the pilgrims visited Aleksandrovskoe courtyard, the so-called "Russian excavations" - a ship[?],  and by the gates of the temple in honor of St. Alexander Nevsky, which is right next to the Holy Sepulchre.

In the evening,  Vladyka and  his companions visited the convent of Gethsemane (ROCOR-MP) where they  sang the Troparion of the Resurrection at the holy  Relics of St. Princess Elizabeth.

Thereafter, the pilgrims visited the Old Town, walking on the path of Christ - from the place of His detention to Calvary.

Entrance to the dungeon, which Christ entered

The place where they laid the body of Christ. [mesto, place], of the zaklucheniye [final resting], of [the life-less body of], Christ.  Thus, this 'place' must be inside the most sacred [chapel of] The Tomb of Our Lord, sitting inside the Church of the Resurrection.  This is from whence the Holy Fire at Pascha emanates.

The pilgrims also visited the place where the bodily remains reside, of the 40,000 babies who were slain by Herod.  It should be noted that the size of skulls and bones resting there in no way corresponds to the size of 3-year infants.

Then the pilgrims visited the Holy Trinity Monastery in Hebron (ROCOR-MP), where grows the famous Mamvrijsky oak [The Oak of Mamre], under which Abraham visited and spoke with The Three Angels.  This oak, unfortunately, is now dried up completely.

Also Vladyka on  that day was again in the Old City and he visited the temple of Sts. Constantine and Helena, which is the main shrine [holy spot] of the quarry, in which was uncovered [found], the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.

May 23,  The pilgrims visited the Tomb of the Prophets (run by  ROCOR-MP) - a dry well in which the early Christians had a Orthodox church.  When they decided to expand it, then they stumbled upon an ancient burial site, some of which was identified as the burial place of the prophets Haggai and Malachi.  Because this place is honored and visited/respected also by the Jews, under the agreement, everything is left in the form in which it was originally uncovered,  i.e., no icons and no restoration work.

Next was a visit to the Holy Trinity Church, built by Antonin Kapustin, now belonging under  the spiritual mission of the MP.  Then all visited Gorny monastery and its churches - Our Lady of Kazan and All Saints.  And also was visited the monastery cemetery, where they wanted to record the names of the deceased abbesses of the monastery and the priests who served here before the  monastery in 1948, was put [taken] under the jurisdiction of the MP.  But it turned out that the old cemetery is completely ruined, and there was not a [one] tombstone.  The earliest burial that was found belongs to 1969.  This is another illustrative example of how the Communists have destroyed the memory of the past, not only in the USSR but also in other countries, to which they have been able to extend their authority.

Later, the pilgrims visited the chapel on the site of the Ascension.  The local Muslim Arabs have long discovered that at many Christian holy places, that they could collect money from pilgrims who are visiting the [Christian]  holy places.  This institution of manditory 'entrance fees',  they have also installed at the chapel of the Ascension.

At the end of his visit,  the Metropolitan and his group, also prayed at the Holy Sepulchre. But, In the night from 23 to 24 May, he was back serving in Odessa.

Thus, we can conclude that the presence of The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in the Holy Land, despite the betrayal of 2007, IS NEWLY RESTORED!  Glory to our God!

Found on: http://internetsobor.org