Metropolitan Kirill meets with Fidel Castro Rus

On 20 October 2008 in Havana the Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad met with the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba Fidel Castro.

His Eminence Kirill and Fidel Castro discussed international relations and various problems of the present time, including financial crisis. They paid special attention to the moral factor in the development of human civilization. They both understand that it is impossible to secure sustainable development of society and success in politics, economics and social sphere without moral motivation, care for the environment and without real human needs taken into account.

Fidel Castro expressed his profound satisfaction with the completion pf construction of the Orthodox church in Havana. He said that he saw on TV the consecration of the Russian church and the concert performed by the choir of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery. Fidel Castro noted that the Russian Orthodox Church played a great role in the life of Russia today and helps to develop its relations with other countries. He believes that the religious factor is very important for the development of dialogue between Russia and Cuba.

The Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations conveyed best wishes of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy to Fidel Castro, who asked His Eminence Kirill to convey his greetings and best wishes to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.