Congratulations to the Primate of the Roman Catholic Church

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PRIMATE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

‘His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia sent a letter to His Holiness John Paul II, the Pope of Rome. The letter with congratulations on his 80th birthday:

‘Your Holiness!

I wholeheartedly greet you with the remarkable jubilee – your 80th birthday.

Your ministry as Head of the Roman Catholic Church has lasted many years and has gained you deserved respect among Christians of many countries of the world.

I do hole that the problems, which exist between our Churches, will be successfully solved through our common efforts and the new millennium will be a time of overcoming divisions and contradictions among Christian of East and West.

May God of mercy and munificence grant Your Holiness ‘all things that pertain to life and godliness’ (2 Pet.1:3) and many years to continue and multiply the labours in the field of Christian witness about Risen Christ.’

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, also sent congratulations to the Primate of the Roman Catholic Church:

‘Your Holiness!

Please accept my sincere and cordial greetings with your 80th birthday. We highly appreciate your personal participation in Christian witness to present-day society expressed in the fulfillment of God’s commandment to love one’s neighbour and in social ministry aimed at the achievement of justice in the relations among nations and respect of all human being created in the image of the Creator.

I wish you good health, good spirits and the gracious help from God in your noble ministry to the good of the Church of Christ.’