On November 5, 2026, a delegation of the monastics of the Russian Orthodox Church arrived in Egypt. The trip is taking place with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Tawadros II of Copts.
The visit is part of the development of relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Coptic Church and continues a long-standing program of mutual visits between representatives of Russian and Coptic monasticism.
The delegation is headed by the Patriarchal Exarch of Southeast Asia, Metropolitan Sergius of Singapore and Southeast Asia. The group included bishops, representatives of the Department for External Church Relations, abbesses and monastery residents of the Russian Orthodox Church.
On November 6, the participants of the trip visited the monastery of St. Paul of Thebes, one of the oldest Christian monasteries in Egypt, located in the Eastern Desert. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the monastery cave church of the 5th century, which was led by Metropolitan Sergius, Metropolitan Ignatius of Perm and Kungur, and Bishop Macarius of Nerchinsk and Krasnokamensk.
After the service, the guests got acquainted with the history and shrines of the monastery, and also met with Bishop Daniel, rector of the monastery, Chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for Monasteries and Monasticism of the Coptic Church. During the conversation, the historical ties between Egyptian and Russian monasticism and the modern challenges of monastic life were discussed.
In memory of his visit to the monastery, Metropolitan Sergius gave the monastery an icon and a church lamp.
The visit will last until November 12th. The program also includes visits to the Lavra of Anthony the Great, the monasteries of the Nitrian Desert and the Christian shrines of Cairo.