This marks the first visit to Pope Francis by the Metropolitan, elected in January 2014.
During his stay in Rome, May 9- 12, the Metropolitan will meet His Eminence Cardinal Kurt Koch in the offices of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The Metropolitan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the tomb of Saint Cyril in the Basilica of Saint Clement.
The Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia is one of the fourteen autocephalous Orthodox Churches of Byzantine tradition, and has its origin in the evangelization of Great Moravia by Saints Cyril and Methodius.