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His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia expressed condolences over the demise of Archbishop Agapit of Stuttgart, vicar of the diocese of Berlin and Germany, Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia.

The Most Reverend Hilarion

Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York

First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia

The Most Reverend Mark

Metropolitan of Berlin and Germany

The clergy and faithful of the diocese of Berlin:

Your Eminencies,

Reverend Fathers,

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I have been grieved to learn about the demise of the Most Reverend Agapit (Gorachek), Archbishop of Stuttgart, Vicar of the diocese of Berlin, after a long and critical illness.

The life of the deceased has become a remarkable example of faithfulness to Christ and readiness to work hard for the good of His Church as from his youth he showed determination to give up the world and to take monastic vows in the monastery of St. Job of Pochaev in Munich. His eagerness to glorify God and diligence in performing his monastic tasks found benevolence in the eyes of the Creator and He, in His wise Providence, vouchsafed Father Agapit to accept the lot of a bishop. For many years, His Eminence helped His Grace Mark in his archpastoral work seeking to make his own contribution to the development of parish life in the diocese of Berlin and to active witness to the beauty and truth of Orthodoxy.

May Most Gracious God forgive His late servant every trespass and place him to the mansion where all the righteous find rest and make his memory eternal.

With profound condolences,

+ Kirill

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia