DECR chairman greets Archbishop Leo of Karelia and All Finland with his birthday and the 40th anniversary of his priestly ordination

Your Eminence, dear Vladyka:

I wholeheartedly greet Your Eminence with two remarkable dates – Your sixty-fifth birthday and the fortieth anniversary of your ordination as a priest.

You have devoted your life to Holy Orthodoxy from your youth and zealously served to spiritual needs of the people of God in the land of Suomi as a priest. Later, when you received the grace of archpastoral ministry, you headed all episcopal chairs of the Orthodox Church of Finland, going from strength to strength with a profound knowledge of your own Church and acquiring rich pastoral and administrative experience. Over ten years ago you have become archbishop and you are now the spiritual father of Orthodox Christians in Finland and beyond its borders.

I join your flock in ardent prayers offered up today for bestowing peace and good health upon Your Eminence and remain, with brotherly love in the Lord,

+ Hilarion

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk

Chairman

Department for External Church Relations

Moscow Patriarchate