To the leaders, editors and all the staff and readers of the Trud newspaper

TO THE LEADERS, EDITORS AND ALL THE STAFF AND READERS OF THE TRUD NEWSPAPER

Dear friends,

Today, the day of the glorious anniversary of Trud, I wholeheartedly congratulate its staff and readers on their common feast, the 80th anniversary of the coming out of the first issue of this periodical so loved and respected throughout the country.

In these times so difficult for the Motherland, the newspaper has preserved and fostered the best traditions of Russian journalism and has remained faithful to the principles of objective and highly professional information, advocacy for the vital interests of the people of labour and assertion of the ideals of good, justice and mercy in society.

For the Orthodox readers, Trud has remained for many years a source of authoritative, truthful and manifold information about the work and concerns of the Russian Orthodox Church. Articles appearing on a regular basis in the Icon-Lamp column are concerned for the spiritual growth of people and marked with desire to help the Church in her witness to the Truth of Christ before the world lured by the spiritually ruinous idols of all-permissiveness, consumerism and gross egoism.

This commitment of Trud staff and contributors to Orthodox spiritual and moral values is extremely important in the eyes of the Church, for modern man, to whom the newspaper is addressed, needs most of all to adopt Christian motivation in tackling personal, family and social problems.

Highly appreciating the cooperation that the leaders, journalists and all the staff of Trud have maintained with the Church, I invoke the Lord’s blessing on their work. I wish them and their loved and all their readers spiritual and physical strength, peace and prosperity.

Chairman of the Department for
external church relations of the
Moscow Patriarchate
metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad
KIRILL