On 11 March 2010, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external church relations, currently in Vilnius at the invitation of the chairman of the Seim of the Lithuanian Republic Irena Degunete, took part in the grand meeting dedicated to the 20^th anniversary of the independence of Lithuania.

Speaking at the meeting were President of Lithuania Dalia Gribauskaite, President of Poland Lech Kacinski, President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers, President of Finland Tarja Halonen, President of Slovenia Danilo Türk, high representatives of other countries, the first President of Lithuania Vitautas Landsbergis, and the first President of Estonia Arnold Ryuitel.

Flags of the three Baltic states – Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were hoisted on the square in front of the Seim building. The ceremony was followed by military parade and grand dinner.

During the events to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the independence of Lithuania, Metropolitan Hilarion met with the Archbishop of Vilnius Cardinal Audris Juozas Bačkis, with professor Landsbergis, and other church, political and pubic leaders, as well as with representatives of the diplomatic corps.

On 10 March 2010, Metropolitan Hilarion, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external church relations, arrived in Vilnius at the invitation of the chairman of the Seim of the Lithuanian Republic Irena Degunete to take part in the celebration of the 20^th anniversary of the independence of Lithuania. Metropolitan Hilarion was met at the airport by Metropolitan Chrysostom of Vilnius and Lithuania and archpriest Vladimir Selyavko.

Metropolitan Hilarion proceeded to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit where he took his monastic vows twenty-three years ago and was ordained hierodeacon. The brethren met the Metropolitan at the main church of the monastery. He venerated the relics of the holy martyrs Anthony, Joann, and Eustathius of Vilno and other holy places of the monastery.

Metropolitan Chrysostom of Vilnius and Lithuania addressed the high guests:

"Your Eminence, beloved in the Lord Metropolitan Hilarion:

We all, who have gathered at this holy monastery in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, greet you wholeheartedly. Your have begun your ministry here as a monk and presbyter. Over the years you have ascended on the steps of episcopal ministry and have become metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church and appointed to the responsible post of the head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external church relations.

There is no doubt that your life and ministry have been influenced by the spiritual milieu in which you were beginning your monastic life, being filled spiritually by the martyrs Anthony, Joann, and Eustathius of Vilno. God has endowed you with many talents, which you are multiplying while serving the Church of Church and God's people.

Your ministry is particularly important to us and to this holy monastery, as you are a spiritual representative of our little flock in Moscow. For us, the Orthodox Christians of Lithuania, Moscow is the place where the Primate of our Church lives and works. The first visit of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of the blessed memory had been a great joy for us. We fell prayers and care for us of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

This spiritual link is very important to us. We live amidst brothers and sisters belonging to the Catholic and other Christian confessions, but we see that the modern world is hostile to anything that is Christian, spiritual and moral. Therefore, we need communion with the plenitude of our Church; we rejoice in it and are spiritually encouraged by it.

We wish you, beloved Vladyka in the Lord, success in your noble ministry. May the intercession of the martyrs of Vilno be with you so that you fulfill your ministry in the Church in good health, multiplying your talents while serving God and people."

Metropolitan Hilarion, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external church relations, said in his address:

"Your Eminence, dear fathers, brothers, and sisters:

First of all I would like to convey to you blessings and greetings of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, upon whose blessing I have arrived in Lithuania. This is not a church visit, as I was invited by the chairman of the Seim of the Lithuanian Republic. I accepted the invitation gladly as it gives me an opportunity to come again here and be within the sacred walls of the monastery where my monastic life and my ministry to the Church began twenty-three years ago. It was with a feeling of inner trembling that I crossed the threshold of this church, venerated the Cross of Christ, and prayed at the relics of the martyrs Anthony, Joann, and Eustathius of Vilno, the intercessors for the Lithuanian and Russian land.

"Twenty-three years ago, I had been laying prostrated in this church before archimandrite Nikita, the then abbot of the monastery, tonsured me. The first days and months of my monastic life passed here, and here I was ordained hierodeacon. I cherish memory of my spiritual making in the Vilnius Monastery of the Holy Spirit and in Lithuania. I remember the late hierarchs and cherish loving and respectful memory of Archbishop Viktorian (Belyaev) of Vilnius and Lithuania, who invited me, a very young man, to come to the monastery for short periods of time. Later I came here to take my monastic vows and to begin my ministry to the Church. I remember the late brethren of the monastery who instructed me during the first days and months of my monastic life. I thank them all and also all those who are living and working here."

Metropolitan Hilarion thanked the head of the Vilnius and Lithuania diocese of diocese for his confidence in him, expressed, for instance, in appointing him rector of the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Kaunas. "You have been serving in Lithuania over twenty years and have gained love and respect of your flock and the entire Lithuanian society," the DECR chairman continued addressing Metropolitan Chrysostom.

In memory of his visit to the monastery, Metropolitan Hilarion presented panagia to Metropolitan Chrysostom, and the library of the monastery – his book entitled "Orthodoxy" issued by the Moscow Sretensky monastery in 2009 with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

In conclusion of his address, Metropolitan Hilarion called on all those present to continue their zealous and tireless ministry to the Church. Reminding them of Metropolitan Chrysostom's words of the Orthodox Christians living in the country surrounded by people belonging to other Christian confession, Metropolitan Hilarion underscored:

"It is not easy to carry the cross of witnessing Orthodox faith, being always conscious of the truth of Orthodoxy and at the same time treating representatives of other confessions with respect, persuading them not by high-sounding words, but by the way of life. This is required of the monks who should be 'the light of the world' (cf. Mt 5:14), of the clergymen. And of all Christians, as the Lord has called all of us for apostolic ministry irrespective of the place we occupy in the Church."

Metropolitan Hilarion and Chrysostom together with the brethren proceeded to the burial place of Archbishop Viktorin (Belyaev) of Vilnius and Lithuania and sang "Memory Eternal" to the late archpastor.

The hierarchs continued their talk at the repast in the chambers of the head of the Vilnius and Lithuania diocese.

That same day, the DECR chairman visited the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and St. Nicholas' church in Vilnius. He also prayed before the icon of Our Lady of Ostrobrama.

Cette perte d’un être cher est pour vous d’autant plus terrible qu’il y a quelques années la défunte avait été excommuniée. Cette injuste et cruelle excommunication avait été prononcée pour la punir du combat intègre et ouvert qu’elle a mené pour l’unité au sein de l’orthodoxie russe. Nous prions pour la paix de l’âme de votre mère et nous croyons que Dieu miséricordieux l’accueillera dans sa demeure céleste.

En Christ,

Mgr Hilarion, métropolite de Volokolamsk, Président du Département des relations externes du patriarcat de Moscou

3.O3.2010
Moscou

Il 2 marzo  2010 il metropolita Hilarion di Volokolamsk, presidente del Dipartimento delle relazioni esterne del Patriarcato di Mosca, ha incontrato il direttore generale dell’Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Educazione, la Scienza e la Cultura (UNESCO) Irina Bokova.

L’incontro si è svolto nella sede dell’UNESCO a Parigi. Ad esso hanno preso parte anche il vicepresidente del Dipartimento delle relazioni esterne del Patriarcato di Mosca igumeno Philipp Rjabych, il presidente del Consiglio esecutivo dell’UNESCO e rappresentante permanente della Federazione Russa presso l’UNESCO E. MItrofanova, il direttore del dipartimento della politica culturale e del dialogo interculturale Katerina Stenou e altri collaboratori del Segretariato dell’UNESCO.

Si è parlato dell’équipe di lavoro di alto livello “Pace e dialogo interculturale”, recentemente costituita per iniziativa di Irina Bokova, la cui prima seduta si è svolta a Parigi il 18 febbraio 2010. I partecipanti hanno inoltre discusso delle prospettive di partecipazione della Chiesa Ortodossa Russa ai progetti dell’UNESCO nelle sfere della cultura e dell’educazione.

Le parti hanno concordato di proseguire e sviluppare la collaborazione negli ambienti di interesse comune.

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On 28 February 2010, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external church relations, began his visit to Paris timed to the Year of Russia in France. He is accompanied by the DECR deputy chairman hegumen Philipp (Ryabykh).

The visit commenced with the Divine Liturgy celebrated at the Three Hierarchs metochion, the main church of the Korsun diocese in France, by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and Archbishop Innokenty of Korsun together with the first deputy chairman of the Education Committee archimandrite Kirill (Govorun), deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external church relations hegumen Philipp (Ryabykh), rector of the cathedral hegumen Nestor (Sirotenko), rector of the Paris Orthodox seminary hieromonk Alexander (Sinyakov), and clergymen of the Korsun diocese.

Archbishop Innokenty greeted Metropolitan Hilarion and noted the importance of common work of the Korsun diocese and the Department for external church relations for the strengthening of Orthodox unity in France and arrangement of spiritual and cultural life of the compatriots.

The DECR chairman congratulated the worshippers on the commemoration day of St. Gregory, Archbishop of Thessalonica, celebrated on the second Sunday in Lent. “We might not see the Divine light as the great ascetics of the old times saw it, but through our communion with Christ we feel the Divine grace and special presence of God that is nothing else but God Himself, Who manifests Himself in His actions and in His divine energy. It is this involvement with the living God and communion with God through His Holy Mysteries that give us strength to live, to overcome sorrows, to solve problems, and go along the way leading us to the Heavenly Kingdom.”

Metropolitan Hilarion thanked Archbishop Innokenty for warm reception and expressed his support to the work done in the diocese: “Dear Vladyka, you have said that the problems of the parish and the diocese increased. At the same time, wider prospects are being opened, in particular with a possibility to build an Orthodox church in Paris. This is a great undertaking for you and your assistants to implement, but it is an inspiring one, as thousands of people would be able to come to the Lord through this church where Divine Liturgy would be celebrated bringing spiritual good to people.” Metropolitan Hilarion assured his fellow bishop in the willingness of the Department for external church relations to continue its cooperation with the Korsun diocese and to render utmost support to it.

That same day Metropolitan Hilarion met with the Russian Ambassador to France A. Orlov. They were joined in the meeting by Archbishop Innokenty of Korsun, hegumen Philipp (Ryabykh), hegumen Nestor (Sirotenko), hieromonk Alexander (Sinyakov), and A. Trubetskoy.

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Il 25 e 26 febbraio si è svolta la visita a Varsavia di una delegazione del Dipartimento delle relazioni esterne del Patriarcato di Mosca, costituita dal Vicepresidente del Dipartimento igumeno Philipp Rjabych e dal segretario facente funzioni per i rapporti con gli Stati esteri, p. Sergij Zvonarev. Scopo della visita era di valutare le possibili azioni comuni delle Chiese, volte a stabilire rapporti di buon vicinato tra i popoli di Polonia, Russia, Ucraina e Bielorussia. La visita è stata organizzata su invito del Primate della Chiesa Ortodossa Polacca, Sua Beatitudine Savva, metropolita di Varsavia e tutta la Polonia, e dell’arcivescovo Jozef Michalik di Przemysl, presidente della Conferenza episcopale cattolica polacca.
Il 25 febbraio la delegazione della Chiesa Russa si è incontrata col metropolita Savva e col vescovo cattolico Stanislav Budzik, segretario generale della Conferenza episcopale polacca. Il Primate della Chiesa Ortodossa Polacca ha dato un pranzo in onore della delegazione russa, durante il quale si sono valutati eventuali passi da fare per favorire i rapporti di buon vicinato tra i popoli dell’Europa Orientale.
Lo stesso giorno, i membri della delegazione hanno partecipato alla seduta del Consiglio interconfessionale delle Chiese della Polonia, presieduto dall’arcivescovo di Wroclaw Jeremia (Chiesa Ortodossa Polacca). All’inizio dell’anno, il Consiglio aveva avanzato la proposta di entrare in dialogo con la Chiesa Ortodossa Russa riguardo alla valutazione del passato storico e allo stabilimento di buoni rapporti tra Bielorussia, Polonia, Ucraina e Russia. Nel suo intervento, l’igumeno Philipp ha detto: «Abbiamo tutto ciò che ci occorre per superare i tragici avvenimenti del passato e costruire un futuro di pace e benessere. Ci uniscono i valori cristiani comuni, la cui difesa può essere la base della collaborazione tra i nostri popoli».
Il 26 febbraio la delegazione russa si è incontrata coi rappresentanti della Chiesa cattolica polacca: il primate, arcivescovo di Gniezno Henryk Muszynski, il vescovo Stanislav Budzik, il responsabile del Consiglio per l’ecumenismo, vescovo Tadeus Pikusz. E’ stata decisa la costituzione di un gruppo di lavoro che elabori un documento comune sulla riconciliazione dei popoli. Le parti hanno convenuto che tale organo sarà costituito da rappresentanti della Chiesa Ortodossa Russa e della Chiesa cattolica di Polonia, con il coinvolgimento occasionale di rappresentanti della Chiesa Ortodossa Polacca e della Chiesa cattolica in Russia. Alla fine dell’incontro è stato approvato un comunicato comune.

Il 26 febbraio 2010 si è svolta presso l’antica Università cattolica ungherese Pazmany Peter di Budapest la conferenza storica «L’emigrazione russa in Ungheria tra le due guerre».

La conferenza era organizzata dalla cattedra di slavistica e dall’équipe di ricerca di S. Adalberto col sostegno della Fondazione internazionale Vyshegrad. Questa prima conferenza organizzata dall’Università nel campo della slavistica testimonia del notevole aumento di interesse nei confronti della storia e cultura della Russia da parte degli ambienti ecclesiali e scientifici dell’Europa centrale negli ultimi anni.

Nel quadro della conferenza, l’arciprete Nikoalj Kim, dottorando del corso di specializzazione «Santi Cirillo e Metodio» presso il Dipartimento delle relazioni esterne del Patriarcato di Mosca, è intervenuto con una prolusione su «L’emigrazione ecclesiastica russa in Ungheria negli anni ‘20 e ‘30». L’intervento ha suscitato l’interesse del pubblico ed è stato valutato molto positivamente dalla comunità scientifica. Secondo quanto comunica il sito della diocesi ungherese della Chiesa Ortodossa Russa, gli atti della conferenza saranno raccolti e pubblicati in volume.

Highly Esteemed Mr. President,

We sincerely congratulate you on your election and inauguration as President of Ukraine. May grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, be with you in truth and love (2 Jn. 1:3).

The Lord has fulfilled His holy will through the declaration of the will of the Ukrainian people. By the Lord’s right hand you have been installed to serve the millions-strong and multinational people of Ukraine.

We know you as a believer and therefore hope that you will be a worthy successor to the cause that was pursued by the Holy Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles – the Baptizer of Rus’, the Holy Prince Yaroslav the Wise – an enlightener and the builder of St. Sophia, and Hetmans Peter Sagaidachny and Bogdan Khmelnitsky – defenders of Holy Orthodoxy and our people’s unity.

It is our profound conviction that the Ukrainian President and all the authorities should be models of selfless service of the people and state.

We hope for a fruitful development of state-church relations in defending public morality and bringing up youth on the basis of God’s Law. In doing so, we believe it necessary to introduce the study of basic Christian ethics, Orthodox culture and God’s Law in educational establishments on all levels beginning from a kindergarten to the most prestigious university.

The groups of the population who need social protection and spiritual support should become a common concern for the State and the Church. Children deprived of parental love and elderly people left without support should be provided for not only financially but should also feel the warmth of prayer and good hearts of Christian volunteers and sisters of mercy.

People in penitentiaries should not be left without pastoral care which can become a first step towards reformation and return to normal life.

The Ukrainian Army needs army priests so that servicemen could be educated in the spirit of true patriotism and love of God and their homeland on earth.

The Church hopes that the State will support by all possible means the development of religious education and information projects on television, radio and other mass media with the aim to promote religious regeneration and education of the next generations.

The Church and the State should continue working together to preserve the cultural and religious heritage of our people and their historic monuments. The Church does not deny the need for museums and preserves, galleries, museum storerooms and book depositories, but she is convinced that church valuables and sights, which were taken away from believers by the theomachistic power, should be returned to their real owners.

For the Church to provide for herself, to revive her social service in its fullness and to help people, we hope that the process of returning church property will continue, thus helping to revive the economic work of the Church.

Dear Mr. President, ahead of you is a great mission of consolidation of Ukrainian society and our people’s unity on the basis of our traditions and Christian virtues, mutual forgiveness and aid and selfless service of neighbours. On her part, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will exert every effort to heal the wounds of schism on the body of Ukrainian Orthodoxy in the spirit of the church canonical order.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church prays that the Lord may give you wisdom and strength and reliable and faithful helpers.

We invoke God’s blessing upon you and pray for our God-saved country, its authorities and army. May your presidency see the fulfillment of the liturgical words in which the Church prays to God for you and the leadership of the country: ‘Grant them, O Lord, a peaceful governance so that in their tranquility we may be able to lead calm and quiet lives in all piety and dignity!’

On behalf of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,

+ Vladimir

Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine

Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

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On 25 February 2010, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church met with the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman at the Patriarchal chambers of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

They were joined in the meeting by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external church relations; Archbishop Nifon of Philippopolis, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East at the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; the Very Revd. Nikolai Balashov, DECR deputy chairman; the Revd. Igor Yakimchuk, acting DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations; and DECR staff member M. Palasio.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was represented by a special representative of the Russian President for the Middle East and deputy foreign minister A. Saltanov; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Lebanon S. Bukin; Ambassador at Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs A. Vdovin; and head of the Syria and Lebanon section of the Middle East and North Africa Department A. Panov.

The President of the Republic of Lebanon was accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Elias Murr; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Ali Ash-Shami; Minister of State Adnan Kassar; Minister of Economy and Trade and Lebanese chairman of the Russian-Lebanese Commission for trade and economic cooperation Mohammad Safadi; Minister of Industry Abraham Dadian; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lebanon to the Russian Federation Assem Jaber; and general director of the Presidential Administration Naji Abi Assi.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia greeted the high guest and called President Suleiman’s visit to Moscow a historic event, as it is the first presidential visit to Russia. “I am confident that your visit and negotiations in Moscow will be fruitful and will serve to the good of the people of our countries.”

His Holiness underscored that the Russian Orthodox Church has maintained friendly cordial relations with the Lebanese people for many years and recalled the meetings of his predecessors at the Moscow Patriarchal Throne with the Lebanese leaders. “I am happy to have an opportunity to receive the President of the Republic of Lebanon on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church.”

His Holiness mentioned President Suleiman’s walk in life as a professional military man who has passed all stages of the difficult and dangerous military service and exerted a lot of efforts to restore peace in his country. “The Lebanese people elected you President at a very crucial time. They have chosen you with the hope for peace and justice in the country, for freedom, sovereignty, independence, and integrity of Lebanon.”

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church emphasized that the religious factor has always played a very important part in the political life of Lebanon and often contributed to the consolidation of society and to reasonable balance of power. Recalling the tragic civil war that flared up thirty-five years ago, His Holiness said: “We thank God for the Lebanese people’s overcoming this trouble and this conflict. Today we see the deepening of interconfessional dialogue in the country and note the reasonable and balanced policy pursued by the authorities who are trying to render assistance to this dialogue.”

His Holiness also spoke about the situation in the Middle East where fundamental problems that engender conflicts in the region have not been resolved.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said that the Russian Orthodox Church had been exerting great efforts to take part in the making of decisions that could have helped people to overcome fundamental differences among them. “We maintain regular dialogue with governments of the Russian Federation and of other countries, with the Patriarchate of Antioch and other Christian communities in the Middle East. We listen attentively to what people of the region say and try to bring our peace message to them. Together with the Patriarchate of Antioch we participate in the solution of a number of humanitarian problems by rendering material aid.”

The development of Orthodox pilgrimage in Lebanon was an important subject of discussion. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill remarked that Lebanon has always been attractive for Russian pilgrims. The 19^th century was marked by a great number of them. The Russian Orthodox visited Saida and proceeded to the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan Valley.

His Holiness said that pilgrimage to the holy places was a spiritual need of people and at the same time had economic and political aspects. “Hundred of thousand Russian people come to the Middle East nowadays as pilgrims. Their number can well rise to a million. However, the flows of pilgrims pass by Lebanon, and we should think about the maximum involvement of Lebanon into the system of Orthodox pilgrimage from Russia and Eastern Europe.”

His Holiness proposed to establish more strong relations between the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism and the Russian Orthodox Church. “The Department for external church relations represented here by its chairman, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, could be actively involved in the elaboration of all these issues. Pilgrimage at present certainly demands modern infrastructure. We could have thought about it together.”

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church remarked that Russian diaspora in Lebanon had begun with pilgrimages in the 19^th century. Russian people living in the country have brought their contribution to the making of statehood in Lebanon, into its system of education and culture. Russian diaspora in Lebanon numbers seven-ten thousand people at present according to different estimations.

“In your person I would like to thank the authorities of Lebanon for their good attitude to Russian people in your country,” His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia told the President of the Republic of Lebanon.

He also spoke about cooperation with the Patriarchate of Antioch in pastoral care for Russian people in Lebanon. For instance, there is a Russian Orthodox parish in Beirut. His Holiness welcomed the decision of the Beirut authorities to allot a plot of land for Russian cemetery and added that economic problems in Lebanon, including unemployment, affect Russian diaspora, too.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill noted good relations between the Orthodox Churches of Antioch and Russia, adding that official representations of the Patriarch of Antioch in Moscow and of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in Damascus do much to promote these relations. His Holiness highly appreciated the work done by Archbishop Nifon of Philippopolis, the representative of the Church of Antioch in Moscow, who “excellently represents his Church and his country here and plays a very positive part in the religious life in Moscow.”

“According to tradition, I, as a newly elected Patriarch, should pay visits to the Primates of the fraternal Local Orthodox Churches,” His Holiness said. “My visit to Syria and Lebanon is planned for November 2010. I am looking forward to this visit. I know your country well as I visited it many times, and I would like to tell you that I am willing to render maximum assistance to the development of relations of Lebanon with Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia, and other countries that comprise the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church.”

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia announced that the Russian Orthodox Church was willing to assist the development of humanitarian relations between the two countries. He mentioned cooperation with the Orthodox University of Balamand in the north of Lebanon and expressed his hope for the development of student exchange programme.

The head of the Republic of Lebanon thanked His Holiness the Patriarch for the meeting and said that “President Medvedev’s invitation to visit the Russian Federation has given us an opportunity to recall the relations between Lebanon and Russia in all spheres, including those which you, Your Holiness, deemed it wise to mention, namely, culture and religion.” The Lebanese President spoke about warm friendly relations maintained by Russia and Lebanon from the 18^th century and expressed his hope for their development.

President Suleiman hopes to continue this talk during the upcoming visit of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church to Lebanon. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill told the President of Lebanon about his recent visit to Ukraine where he gave his blessing to the new President of the country. “I am not the Patriarch of the Russian Federation. I am the Patriarch of the Russian Church, which canonical territory includes fifteen states,” His Holiness emphasized.

In conclusion of the meeting, His Holiness presented the President of Lebanon with a set of enameled candlesticks.

The President of Lebanon presented His Holiness Patriarch Kirill with a particle of the cedar of Lebanon found at excavations and dated by the 5^th century.

On February 25, 2010, the day of the Ukrainian presidential inauguration, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine held a service of thanksgiving at the refectory church of the Dormition Laura of the Caves in Kiev. They lifted up prayers for the Ukrainian people and the elected head of the Ukrainian state.

In the morning of February 25, Patriarch Kirill venerated the shrines of the Laura’s Near Caves, where the relics of numerous men of God who had shown forth in the monastery lie in rest.

After that His Holiness Kirill and His Beatitude Vladimir welcomed Ukrainian President-elect Victor Yanukovich to the Laura’s refectory church.

During the prayer service, a special petition was voiced for the head of the state that ‘power and wisdom may be given him from heaven to be a good ruler of the country and to bring in peace and good order to it’.

In conclusion of the service, Patriarch Kirill read a prayer for the Ukrainian president who was taking office, asking the Lord: ‘Give him good judgment and admonish him to carry out his great service without stumbling and give him wisdom to keep the Ukrainian people in peace and without sorrow’.

Then the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed himself to Mr. Yanukovich with the words of greetings:

‘Your Excellency, Highly Esteemed Victor Fyodorovich:

In the ancient walls of the Kiev Laura of the Caves, from which Holy Rus’ has generated, we have now prayed that the Lord may bless your taking the office of the Ukrainian President.

The religious understanding of power is associated with service. There is no meaning in human power other then service. True power is always linked with responsibility and deed including the deed of spirituality because to serve one’s neighbours always means to dedicate oneself and sometimes even to crucify oneself for the benefit of those you are called to serve.

That is why the service in power demands so much spiritual and physical resources, wisdom, patience, strength and humbleness. One cannot fully fulfill this God’s order to those who assume power, relying only on one’s own physical and intellectual resources and on one’s will. That is why believers who come into power always begin this good task with a prayer asking for God’s help. And today we have prayed to the Lord and Saviour, to His Most Holy Mother, to the Holy Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles, to your heavenly patron, the Holy Martyr Victor, and to the saints of the Kiev Caves that they may be with you in your carrying out the important service of Ukraine.

It is God’s will that people may have life, and have it to the full (Jn. 10:10). This fullness of human life is determined by a number of conditions, and every one knows that the primary one of these conditions is the Kingdom of God. But if we refer to social life, to the life of the people, the indispensable condition for any welfare is the unity of the people, their ability to rally around the meeting of the hardest challenges. We are aware of how hard are the most important tasks facing the Ukrainian people today. And therefore it is certainly the will of God that the people be united, that differences – political, historiosophic, cultural, religious –be surmounted, that a common spiritual basis for the common life of the Ukrainian people be found.

We believe that this spiritual basis can be found only in whose values which have been fostered by Ukraine’s whole spiritual tradition. If these values are put in the basis of societal life the Lord will certainly show mercy for the country and the people.

There is another value. It is the great heritage of the Kievan Rus’, the great heritage of Prince Vladimir. The fraternal nations tied together by one historical tradition are heirs of the most holy prince equal to the apostles. And it is so important that these component parts of one Holy Rus’ be always tied by the bonds of friendship, peace and cooperation. This is certainly the will of God, for the Lord was pleased to see a powerful tree of the Orthodox Eastern European Christian civilization developing from the seed sown here, on Kiev hills.

We also see as symbolic the fact that you take the presidential office on the commemoration day of St. Alexis the Metropolitan of Kiev, Moscow and All Russia, a guardian of the spiritual space of Holy Rus’. God willing, you will direct your effort to the prosperity of Ukraine, the preservation of her people and the spiritual space of Holy Rus’, the prosperity of your homeland to which you are committed and to which you have made ardent vows.

I would like to conclude this word of greetings with the remarkable words of the Ukrainian people’s prayer: ‘O great Lord, who is one, preserve Rus’-Ukraine!’ May the Lord preserve you for many good years. May the Lord preserve Rus’-Ukraine. May the Lord preserve the sacred heritage of Holy Rus’. Amen’.

And His Holiness the Patriarch blessed the Ukrainian President-elect with an icon of the Saviour.

Mr. Yanukovich, speaking in response, said:

‘Your Holiness, Your Beatitude:

I am very grateful to you for the prayer with which you gave a valedictory to me and to Ukraine. I am confident that the Ukrainian people will overcome all the difficulties on their path, all the challenges of the time which the Lord has given us these days. We will overcome it and will be united. The Ukrainian people are strong, the Ukrainian soil is rich, and the Ukrainian people are industrious. With the faith in our Lord God Jesus Christ we hope that we will have enough resources of our own to overcome all the difficulties for the sake of our Fatherland, for the sake of our children and grand children and to build a strong state which will enjoy respect in the world. And may the Lord God help us in this’.

Then the President-elect proceeded to the Ukrainian Supreme Rada for the inauguration to begin at 10.00 local time.

On the same day, when the Church celebrates the Icon of Our Lady of Iveron and the memory of St. Alexis the Metropolitan of Kiev, Moscow and All Russia, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at the Laura’s refectory church.

The Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople defrocked Bishop Basil (Osborne) and returned him to lay status due to his wish to marry again, as Archbishop Gabriel of Comana, head of the Archdiocese of Russian parishes under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople wrote in his letter to the clerics and faithful of the Amphipolis deanery on 20 February 2010.

“Earlier this year [Bishop Basil] asked me to approach His All Holiness Bartholomew I on his behalf and request laicisition as it became clear to him that for his own well being he needs a family home and a chance to marry again. I have to inform you that the Holy Synod took the decision last week to return Bishop Basil to lay status.” Archbishop Gabriel’s letter reads.

“We have lost a bishop, that is true, but we still have a brother to love and support,” Archbishop Gabriel underscored and called the faithful of the Amphipolis deanery not to condemn their former archpastor for his decision, reminding them that “Metropolitan Anthony taught us only to look at the person, not how he behaves.”

Bishop Basil (Osborne) was born in 1938, married in 1962, ordained deacon by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh in 1969, and priest in 1973. He became a widower in 1991, and on 7 March 1993 was consecrated Bishop of Sergievo, a vicar of the Sourozh diocese. On 30 July 2003, short before the demise of Metropolitan Antony, he was appointed administrator of the Sourozh diocese.

In April 2006, he announced his wish to enter the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. On 9 May 2006, he was relieved of his duties as administrator of the Sourozh diocese and retired without the right of moving to another jurisdiction. On 8 June 2006, by the decision of the Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople he was received in the jurisdiction of this Church without a letter of release and appointed assistant bishop of Archbishop Gabriel of Comana with the title of ‘Bishop of Amphipolis.’

In January 2007, representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Patriarchate of Moscow discussed the case of Bishop Basil. On 16 May 2007, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church resolved: “Taking into consideration a wish expressed by His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, in order to avoid further temptations among Orthodox believers on the British Isles and for the sake of ecclesiastical peace – to lift an earlier imposed ban from Bishop Basil (Osborne) and to grant him a letter of release for his moving to the Patriarchate of Constantinople.”

In autumn 2009, the Synod of the Church of Constantinople granted Bishop Basil’s request to retire, and Archbishop Gabriel of Comana notified clergymen and laymen of the Amphipolis Vicariate of this decision on 5 October 2009. Following the retirement of Bishop Basil the parishes of the Vicariate now constitute a deanery.