Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece congratulates Metropolitan Kirill on the state award

ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS OF ATHENS AND ALL GREECE CONGRATULATES METROPOLITAN KIRILL ON THE STATE AWARD

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, received the following congratulatory message from His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece (translated from the Russian version):

“Most Reverend Brother in Christ,

With great joy we have learnt about the high honour accorded to Your Eminence by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin who has awarded you the state Order of Merit.

This well-deserved and honourable award is a visible recognition by the state authorities of your Fatherland that the servants of the Holy Orthodox Church not only praise the Name of the Triune God every day, but also, following the commandments of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and emulating His example of love and sacrifice, have fully committed themselves to the good of man and the highest values of life for the sake of achieving the ideal of peace and justice in the world and for the sake of attaining by all the perfection in God, which is blessing and salvation.

Therefore, aware of your commitment to the Holy Church and your love of your Motherland, we congratulate Your Eminence on this high award, wishing that your earthly service, by the grace of the Almighty God, may last and on the coming day of the Lord’s glory you may be found worthy of the ultimate reward from the Risen Christ.

Herewith giving Your Eminence a holy embrace in the Risen Lord, we remain with respect and love,

CHRISTODOULOS
Archbishop of Athens and All Greece

Athens, April 27, 2001