From February 13 to March 3, 2024, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi, the administrator of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, paid an archpastoral visit to the republics of the Philippines and Vietnam.On February 13, 2024, Metropolitan Pavel arrived in the city of General Santos, Mindanao Island, Republic of the Philippines. At the airport, Metropolitan Pavel and representatives of the delegation of the Khanty-Mansiysk diocese were met by the Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), the clergy of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese. On the trip, His Eminence was accompanied by: Archpriest Anthony Isakov, dean of the Surgut City Deanery of the Khanty-Mansiysk Diocese, Archpriest Sergiy Shevchenko, dean of the Nizhnevartovsk City Deanery of the Khanty-Mansiysk Diocese, Priest Konstantin Memyachkin, chairman of the architectural and Construction Department of the Khanty—Mansiysk Diocese, Hierodeacon Nikodim Pirkhovsky, resident of the Dimitrievsky Monastery of Khanty-Mansiysk, General Director of SC “Yuv and With” Vladimir Yurievich Bashkov.As part of the archpastoral visit, parishes were visited in various provinces of the Republic of the Philippines. The archpastor visited a number of Orthodox communities on the island of Mindanao, where he performed divine services and ordinations of clerics of the Philippine–Vietnamese diocese.On February 14, 2024, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , the administrator of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, visited the parish in honor of St. Ignatius the God-Bearer of Lambayon (Philippines). The administrator of the diocese performed a prayer service at the parish and gave the archpastoral blessing to the parishioners.Also on the eve of the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , governor of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese, held an all-night vigil in the church in honor of the Resurrection of Christ in Lake Cebu.On February 15, 2024, on the feast of the Presentation of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, Metropolitan Pavel celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church in honor of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Polomolok, South Cotabato province of Mindanao Island (Philippines). His Eminence was co-served by: Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, Archpriest Anthony Isakov, Dean of the Surgut City Deanery of the Khanty-Mansiysk Diocese, Archpriest Sergiy Shevchenko, Dean of the Nizhnevartovsk City Deanery of the Khanty—Mansiysk Diocese, Priest Konstantin Memyachkin, Chairman of the Architectural and Construction Department of the Khanty-Mansiysk Diocese, clergy of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese. The deaconess rank was headed by Hierodeacon Nicodemus (Pirkhovsky). During the Liturgy, Metropolitan Pavel ordained Deacon Anthony Aranko as priest and reader Gabriel Hermudo as deacon.After the service, a diocesan meeting of the clergy of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese was held. During the meeting, reports from the deaneries of the diocese and the heads of the educational, youth, information and missionary departments were presented, plans for diocesan events and economic and construction works for 2024 were approved. Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , the administrator of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, made a report summarizing the results of the diocese’s work for 2023.On February 15, 2024, Metropolitan Pavel inspected the construction site of a new church in honor of the Apostle Thomas in the Kinabalan settlement of Mindanao Island (Philippines), the construction of which is nearing completion. The opportunity to carry out construction work on the construction of the temple appeared only a year after the outbreak of the pandemic. In 2021, the site was prepared and piles were driven. Despite the complexity of the project, local workers, with the help of parishioners and under the supervision of clerics, coped with the work. The temple project was developed by the architectural department of the Khanty-Mansiysk Metropolia specifically for the conditions of the Philippines, characterized by high seismic activity and humidity. According to the project, the temple must withstand an earthquake with a magnitude of 9 points.On the same day, the Administrator of the diocese visited the churches of the Assumption of the Virgin in Banat and the Epiphany in Talas, gave his archpastoral blessing to the parishioners, held meetings with the clergy and the flock of the parishes.On February 17, 2024, on the eve of the 37th Week of Pentecost, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , governor of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese, held an all-night vigil in the church in honor of St. Matrona of Moscow in Davao City in the Philippines (Mindanao Island).On February 18, 2024, in the 37th Week of Pentecost, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , governor of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church in honor of St. Matrona of Moscow in Davao City in the Philippines (Mindanao Island). During the Liturgy, Metropolitan Pavel ordained Deacon Raphael Frajillo to the priesthood.On February 19, 2024, His Eminence celebrated a prayer service at the site of the future temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “The Quick-Hearer” on Panglao Island (Philippines).On February 25, 2024, the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee, the feast of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , governor of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the temple in honor of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in Manila, Philippines. The divine service was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of the Philippines M.I. Pavlov. During the Liturgy, Metropolitan Pavel ordained Deacon Juventinus Bulaquenya to the priesthood.On February 26, 2024, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , governor of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, celebrated a prayer service in the church in honor of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord in Siniloan, Laguna Province, Philippines.On the same day, Metropolitan Pavel met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of the Philippines M.I. Pavlov. The meeting was attended by: Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), General Director of LLC SC “Yuv and S” Vladimir Bashkov, President of the Literary Fund “Road of Life” Dmitry Mizgulin. During the meeting, the parties discussed various issues of cooperation between the Russian diplomatic mission and the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese.On February 27, 2024, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , the administrator of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, arrived in the Republic of Vietnam. At Ho Chi Minh City airport, Vladyka was met by the dean of the Vietnamese Deanery, Priest Yevgeny Tsukalo and Consul-Counselor of the Russian Embassy D.A. Repkov. On a trip to the Republic of Vietnam, Metropolitan Pavel is accompanied by the Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev) and the president of the Literary Foundation “The Road of Life” Dmitry Mizgulin.On February 27, 2024, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , the administrator of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, performed the rite of minor consecration of the house church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Vung Tau, Vietnam. His Eminence was co-served by: Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, Priest Eugene Tsukalo, dean of the Vietnamese Deanery, Priest John Obrembalsky, cleric of the Balashikha Diocese.On the same day, the Archpastor in Vung Tau of the Republic of Vietnam held a working meeting with Oleg Petrovich Saraev, First Deputy General Director of Vietsovpetro Joint Venture. During the meeting, issues of interaction between the Philippine—Vietnamese Diocese and the Vietsovpetro enterprise were discussed.On February 28, 2024, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , governor of the Philippine—Vietnamese Diocese, held a parish meeting in the city of Nyangchang of the Republic of Vietnam.The faithful Russian citizens living in Nyanchang asked the bishop about the possibility of opening an Orthodox parish in the city. During the meeting, the Nha Trang parish was established in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, a parish council consisting of 15 people was elected, and members of the audit commission were also elected. At the end of the parish meeting, Bishop Pavel answered the questions of the parishioners.On March 1, 2024, Metropolitan Pavel met with the leadership of the Committee on Religious Affairs under the Government of the Republic of Vietnam. On the Vietnamese side, the meeting was attended by: Deputy Head of the Committee Nguyen Anh Tic, Head of the Department of Faiths and Other Religions Chan Thi Minh Thu, Deputy Head of the Personnel and International Relations Department of Ngo Thi Xuan Lan. The Russian Federation was represented by the Counselor-Envoy of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Vietnam E.N. Bakeeva, Counselor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Vietnam K.V. Lunev, Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev) and dean of the Vietnamese Deanery, Priest Eugene Tsukalo. Mr. Nguyen Anh Thik warmly thanked Bishop Pavel for the opportunity to take part in an important meeting, noting that in the Republic of Vietnam there is freedom of religion, 95% of citizens profess some kind of faith, they are allowed to pray and perform religious rites. Metropolitan Pavel spoke about the history and development of the Orthodox Church in Russia, focusing on the fact that there are many communities of Russian citizens in the Republic of Vietnam, mainly in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Vung Tau, who need spiritual care. The participants of the meeting discussed the issues of the registration process of Orthodox communities in accordance with the legislation of the Republic. They also discussed the construction of a temple in Vung Tau, Vietnam.On March 1, 2024, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , Administrator of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, met with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Vietnam, G.S. Bezdetko. During the meeting, the parties discussed various issues of cooperation between the Russian diplomatic mission and the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese.On March 2, 2024, on the memorial day of St. Leo, Bishop of Rome, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , governor of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the house church in honor of the blj. Ksenia Peterburgskaya in Hanoi, Vietnam.On March 3, 2024, the Week of the Prodigal Son, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , governor of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the parish in honor of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. His Eminence was co-served by Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, and Priest Eugene Tsukalo, Dean of the Vietnamese Deanery.After the Divine Liturgy at the parish in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , the administrator of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, headed to Ho Chi Minh City Airport. At the airport, His Eminence was escorted by the Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), the dean of the Vietnamese Deanery, Priest Eugene Tsukalo. His Eminence cordially thanked the clergy and parishioners of the diocese for organizing the visit.
