Metropolitan Kirill will be given his Order of Merit before the Fatherland

METROPOLITAN KIRILL WILL BE GIVEN HIS ORDER OF MERIT BEFORE THE FATHERLAND

On January 16, the official site of the Russian Orthodox Church carried a report entitled “President of Russia V. V. Putin decorated clergymen”.

In connection with numerous inquiries from mass media and official and public organizations as well as ordinary citizens concerned for the absence of Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, at the decoration ceremony, the DECR Communication Service is authorized to give the following explanation.

By the decree No. 1491 issued by the President of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin on August 11, 2000, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad was awarded the Order of Merit before the Fatherland, 3d degree, for his great contribution to the consolidation of civil peace and to the spiritual and moral regeneration of Russia.

However, due to the urgent need for him to lead a delegation of our Church to negotiations with the Patriarchate of Constantinople concerning the Orthodox parishes in Estonia, Metropolitan Kirill had to leave for Vienna on an urgent business trip the day before the decoration ceremony was to take place.

The state decoration will be presented to Metropolitan Kirill in due time.

See also:

President of Russia V. V. Putin decorated clergymen