The Russian Orthodox Church plans to take over a former Church of Ireland building in Harold´s Cross, Dublin, to cater for its growing membership in Ireland.
Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad visited the church on Friday and said it would be «quite acceptable» for Russian Orthodox use.
Metropolitan Kirill said there were about 1,000 Russian Orthodox members in Ireland now, made up mainly of people from the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova. Most have probably attended the Greek Orthodox church in Arbour Hill, to which Metropolitan Kirill expressed gratitude.
Currently 73.6% of people in the Russian Federation claim affiliation to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Metropolitan Kirill said his Church opposed John Paul II visiting Moscow because Catholic priests were actively seeking converts from the Russian Orthodox Church.
