The visit to Jerusalem next month by a high-ranking mission of the Russian Orthodox Church has aroused speculation here that it may be a harbinger of a change in relations between Israel and the USSR. The group will be headed by the Metropolitan Nikodim, the second highest prelate in the Russian Church hierarchy. He and his 10-man entourage will be quartered at the Greek Patriarchate as guests of the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem, Benedictus.
High Soviet church leaders are often reputed to be close to the Kremlin, Nikodim is unofficially dubbed the “Foreign Minister” of the Russian Orthodox Church. Speculation that the visit may involve more than church matters was intensified by the fact that two Soviet emissaries–understood to have been members of the clergy–reportedly met secretly with Premier Yitzhak Rabin and top ministers here two weeks ago to discuss political matters and Israeli-Soviet relations.
The head of the Russian Church Mission in Jerusalem, Archimandrite Seraphim, called on a senior official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs last week to inform him officially of Nikodim’s visit and to ask assistance in making the arrangements for it, Officials here noted that this was the first time that Israeli authorities had received formal advance notice of a visit by Russian Church leaders. In the past, the Israeli government learned of such visits only informally.
The last high level visit here by a Russian churchman was that of Nikodim’s superior, Patriarch Pimen, in May 1972. Speculation was rife at that time, too, but it turned out that Pimen devoted most of his discussions with Israeli ministers and other officials to the question of church-owned lands. Litigation was going on at that time with the “White Russian” church over the lands. The “White Russians” are represented in Jerusalem and receive every courtesy and freedom but the government extends formal recognition only to the official “Red” Russian church.
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