Metropolitan Kirill greets President and Staff of ‘Aid to Church in Need’ Foundation on its 60th anniversary

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations greeted Mr. Hans-Peter Rцthlin, President of the Foundation ‘Aid to Church in Need’ on the 60^th anniversary of the Charity Organisation. Below is the full text of the message.

Dear Brother in Christ,

I heartily greet you and all the Aid to the Church in Need staff on the occasion of the 60^th anniversary of this famous Christian charity.

In the early 1990s your organization was among the first to help the Russian Orthodox Church reviving after many years of persecution. After gaining freedom our Church faced the need of restoring thousands ruined churches and monasteries, reopening theological schools, and developing educational and missionary work. In each of these spheres we feel support from the Aid to the Church in Need, which continues as one of our good friends.

On these days we thankfully remember Fr Werenfried van Straaten, whose initiatives became good examples of Orthodox-Catholic cooperation.

I wish you and the Aid to the Church in Need staff good health, prosperity, and God’s help in their work.

With love in the Lord,

/+Kirill/

Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad
Chairman
Department for External Church Relations
Moscow Patriarchate