Photo: Mikhail Kovalev
Patriarch of Moscow and All In his Christmas speech, Russ Kirill expressed regret that the holiday was overshadowed by well-known events in Ukraine. He said the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church mourns and prays for all those who died and suffered during the conflict in that country. He also deeply sympathizes with all those who lost their homes and were forced to leave their homeland.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church also thanked the volunteers and clergy who help the needy and wounded, bring the necessary things near and far, we really become one big family,” said Patriarch Kirill.
Previously, he also called for prayer for parishioners and priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church who are being persecuted. The clergy of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra wrote an open letter to the President, Prime Minister and Minister of Culture of Ukraine before the New Year with a request to stop repression against members of the clergy. On January 5, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine announced the transfer of two churches of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra to the state. At the same time, Metropolitan Pavel, the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, did not sign the act of transfer.
At the insistence of the patriarch, a Christmas truce was arranged from 12:00 in January. January 7 from 6 a.m. to midnight. Vladimir Putin instructed the Minister of Defense to monitor the observance of the ceasefire along the entire line of contact during this time.