The Greek Church paid little attention to the desire of young men and women from Africa to take monastic vows, said Metropolitan Leonid of Klin during an online conference on the protection of Christians in Africa and the Middle East, writes the UOJ.

“And as we understand, monasticism is a key stronghold of any Church, its engine and heart,” said Bishop Leonid.

According to the Patriarchal Exarch, before creating monasteries in Africa, the hierarchies of the Exarchate will prepare the monks: those who wish to become monks will come to Russian monasteries as novices, live, get acquainted with liturgical traditions, with the monastic rule, and then they will already create monastic communities in their homeland.

Vladyka also said that priests from the African Exarchate would come to Russia to “improve their qualifications” in order to study the liturgical traditions and charter of the Russian Orthodox Church as deeply as possible.