Putin congratulates Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill on 15th anniversary of enthronement
MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a meeting with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at the Kremlin on the 15th anniversary of his enthronement as primate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).
"Please accept my warm and heartfelt congratulations on the day of your enthronement," the head of state said, addressing the patriarch. "It’s been fifteen years. I think you haven’t even noticed as these past fifteen years flew by. <...> Thank you for your work," Putin added.
The patriarch, in turn, emphasized that the 15 years since he assumed leadership of the ROC had been marked by a very high level of relations between the church and the Russian government, making it possible to achieve what used to seem impossible. "I would like to cordially thank you for the support you have been providing to all Russian citizens, especially those who belong to our church, as well as for your support for the church as an institution," the patriarch added.
February 1 marks 15 years since the enthronement of Patriarch Kirill as head of the Moscow Patriarchate, the governing structure of the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest church in Eastern Orthodox Christianity which claims over 112 million adherents across Russia and worldwide, or about half of all Orthodox Christians.
