His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified at the refectory church in the Kiev Laura of the Caves

On February 25, the feast day of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God and the commemoration day of St. Alexis Metropolitan of Moscow, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gift at the refectory church of the Live Laura of the Caves. Concelebrating were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external church relations, and members of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

After the Liturgy, Metropolitan Vladimir greeted the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and thanked him for his primatial visit.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill underscored in his address the importance of this day for the Ukrainian people and noted in particular the services rendered by Metropolitan Vladimir, all bishops and clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in maintaining the unity of canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine.

His Holiness presented His Beatitude with an altar cross in memory of common prayer.

After fraternal repast, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and his suite departed for Moscow.