Patriarch Kirill urged to pray for good changes in Ukraine

On the eve of the New Year, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has called on believers to pray for good changes in Ukraine, which would contribute to the strengthening of Orthodoxy, the unity of the Russian Church and the prosperity of the Ukrainian people.

According to gorthodox.com, Patriarch Kirill delivered his address before a New Year’s Eve prayer service in the capital’s Christ the Savior Cathedral. He noted that despite the «sorrows associated with the division of our people, with the fact that in fraternal Ukraine the power has been taken by forces that direct the vector of the country’s development against Russia, seeking to separate the Ukrainian people from the Russian people as far as possible,» as well as «the victim of whose policy is also our Orthodox Church,» it is necessary to pray for good changes. These changes, he said, should «promote the strengthening of Orthodoxy, the unity of our Church, and the prosperity of the fraternal Ukrainian people.»

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church also called for prayers «for all of Holy Russia,» for the peoples living on this gracious land, for President Vladimir Putin, government leaders and all those in power. He emphasized the importance of preserving the power of the Church, capable of «gracefully influencing people’s consciousness, strengthening the Orthodox faith,» and wished for the growth of the spiritual power of the Fatherland, which is the guarantee of the strength of the state and the prosperity of the people. Patriarch Kirill concluded his address with the words: «May the Lord cover our Fatherland, the Church and all members of the Russian Orthodox Church with His mercy. Happy upcoming holiday».

We shall remind you that earlier we reported that Patriarch John X of Antioch expressed support for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church during the Christmas liturgy in Damascus.