Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad meets with the President of Angola Jose Eduardo dos Santos

On 22 November 2008, the Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad began his official visit to the South African countries, Angola, Namibia, and the South African Republic.

It is the first in history visit of a hierarch of the Moscow Patriarchate to Angola. Metropolitan Kirill and the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Council pf Europe hegumen Filaret (Bulekov) were met in Luanda by the Angolan minister of culture Rosa Cruz e Silva, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Angola S. Nenashev, bishop Anastasio Cahango of the Roman Catholic Church, rector of the Church of St. Sergius in Johannesburg Rev. Ioann Lapidus, and other official personalities.

That same day in the evening Ambassador S. Nenashev gave an official reception in honour of the high guest. Attending the reception among other guests were nuncio Angelo Beccio Giovanne and bishop Anastasio Cahango, senior counselor of the Russian Embassy M. Yegorov, and attaché Yu. Mikhaleva.

On November 23, Metropolitan Kirill, Ambassador S. Nenashev, and a delegation of the Russian Alrosa Company left Luanda for the Lunda Sul province, where several hundred Russian miners work at the Catoca Mining. The governor of the province told Metropolitan Kirill about cooperation between the local authorities and directors of the mining company in social sphere, health care and employment.

Metropolitan Kirill met with the compatriots in the Information Centre and told them about the ministry of the Russian Orthodox Church beyond the borders of the Fatherland and about spiritual care for compatriots living abroad. Participants in the meeting asked him to help with the opening of a Russian Orthodox parish in Angola.

Metropolitan Kirill presented the Alrosa president S. Vybornov with a Patriarchal award, the sign of the Great and Holy Martyr Barbara, 1^st degree. This award is given to the church and public figures, statesmen, Russian miners, businessmen, workers of culture and education who distinguished themselves in spiritual and moral improvement of society, spiritual revival of Russia, social care for miners and their families, and construction and restoration of churches and monasteries.

That same day in the evening the Russian Orthodox Church delegation returned to the capital of Angola to meet some three hundred compatriots and representatives of the Russian-speaking community living in Luanda and its suburbs. Metropolitan Kirill spoke of keeping national, cultural and spiritual identity while living abroad, and answered many questions. Participants in the meeting reiterated their request to open a Russian parish in the capital of Angola as soon as possible.

On November 24, Metropolitan Kirill met with the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Angola and Sao Tome archbishop of Luanda Damiao Antonio Franklin. They spoke about common Christian witness before the modern secular world, cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in opposing sects and marginal ‘charismatic’ movements. They also exchanged opinions on the role of the Church in maintaining traditional moral values of society and on the cooperation with the state in the solution of social problems.

On November 24 at noon, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad met with the President of Angola Jose Eduardo dos Santos at the President’s Palace in Luanda. Metropolitan Kirill conveyed a message of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia to the head of the state and greeted him with success at the recent election to the National Assembly and convincing victory of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola.

Metropolitan Kirill assured President Jose Eduardo dos Santos in the willingness of the Russian Orthodox Church to facilitate the extension and enrichments of relations between Russia and Angola. The DECR chairman also spoke about provisions for spiritual and cultural life of the Russian-speaking diaspora in Angola.

That same day the Russian Orthodox Church delegation left for Namibia.

• Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations officiates at the jubilee festivities at St. Sergius Parish in Johannesburg
• Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations visits Namibia
• Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad meets with the President of Angola Jose Eduardo dos Santos