Metropolitan Kirill’s interview to NTV company

After the Holy Synod session, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad gave an interview to NTV channel.

– Your Eminence, what problems did the Holy Synod discuss at today’s session and what decisions did it take?

– Several important decisions were taken. The Synod listened to His Holiness’s report and supported an initiative of the Interreligious Council of Russia to hold a conference of world religious leaders in Moscow in July 2006 prior to the G8 summit.

The Synod considered the most important events of the last year, the first and foremost being the celebration of a new holiday – the Day of National Unity on November 4. The Synod positively appreciated this event that will undoubtedly serve to consolidation of our people and refresh our national memory.

The celebration of the 60^th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, the 625^th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Kulikovo and the 300^th anniversary of Orthodoxy on Kamchatka was also appreciated.

The situation of Orthodoxy abroad was also considered. For instance, decisions were taken to send our clergymen to serve at the parishes in the far abroad and to open the first Russian Orthodox parish on the Arabian Peninsula. This parish will be opened in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates.

A wish was expressed to develop fraternal dialogue with Muslim leaders and religious leaders of the Arab countries. The efforts undertaken recently for the establishment of relations with the Yemen Republic were appreciated.

The Synod considered a deplorable fact – the statement of the Lutheran Church of Sweden to recognize and bless homosexual ‘marriages.’ The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed its point-blank denunciation of this act and issued a special statement published today. The Synod stated suspension of bilateral relations with the Church of Sweden.