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A presentation of the Estonian version of the book ‘A Pastor’s Word’ by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill will take place at 15.00 on April 24, 2012, at the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations.

The book was written on the basis of video-records of the Saturday talks given by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad as chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, now Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, in the period from 1994 to 1996 first on the Central and later Public Russian Television.

This work is addressed to both those who are still standing on the threshold of the Church and Orthodox Christians who wish to know more about Holy Scriptures and the teaching of the Church and to learn to live up to the commandments of Christ. The events of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth, related in the four Gospels, are lined up chronologically in the book, which helps the reader to see the well-known Gospel’s stories from a new and sometimes unusual perspective.

This book was published in Russian in 2004. The publication of its Estonian version in 2012 has been timed to the celebrations marking the 3d anniversary of the enthronement of the Primate of the Russian Church.

In his message to the readers, His Holiness Kirill states in particular, ‘Our Church has carried out her service not only in Russia and not only among Russian people. The canonical responsibility of the Moscow Patriarchate extends today to many independent states with their own language, national culture and customs. Among them is certainly Estonia, a country with old European traditions, in which people belonging to different Christian confessions have lived together as neighbours for centuries. It is expected that the book will help people in Estonia, who will read it in their own language, to know more about Orthodoxy and to think over the meaning of human life, the faith in God and their life in the light of Christ’s teaching.

The edition was prepared by the St. George the Victorious Charity, Estonia, in cooperation with the St. Gregory the Theologian Foundation. It was translated by the Estonian Society of St. Isidore. The project was directed by Sergey Mjannik, a member of the Synod of the Estonian Orthodox Church.

The presentation will be attended by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, Bishop Lazar of Narva and Prichudie, clergy of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, diplomats, journalists and representatives of the public.

Address: Danilovsky val 22, Department for External Church Relations, Moscow Patriarchate

Journalists can obtain accreditation until 16.00 on April 23 by e-mail: csi@mospatr.ru, and by tel: (495) 633-84-28.