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His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has sent a letter to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, thanking him for welcome accorded to the delegation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople last May. Patriarch Bartholomew singled out the part played by the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations led by His Eminence Metropolitan of Volokolamsk. The Ecumenical Patriarch sent a letter to the DECR chairman, saying in particular:

Having safely returned with God’s help after an unforgettable visit to the Russian Church and the Russian land that gives rise to the saints, I would like to express to Your Eminence our cordial greetings and our patriarchal appreciation of the faultless wonderful arrangement and carrying out of the programme of our visit as a whole and of its parts involving your responsibilities. We warmly thank you for everything that you have done for our patriarchal suite, even exceeding the protocol limits. You have been aristocratic as usual, affable and full of dignity! We have been moved by this and believe it would be not out of place to say that you have gained our particular respect and love.

We look forward to our good future cooperation in developing church ties between the Ecumenical and Moscow Patriarchates. We pray for you and wish you to multiply your many talents that God has bestowed upon you for the good of the Church and culture, thus praising the name of Russia. We shall expect you in Constantinople at your earliest opportunity to offer you our love and hospitality and, maybe, to listen to a new musical piece composed by you. We say it, still being under impression of your Oratorio performed recently at the Hagia Irene church in Constantinople with great success.