Pope congratulates new Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

(Jan. 29, 2009): Pope Benedict XVI on Wed. expressed his joy at the election of Metropolitan Kirill as the new Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia . The Pope sent the new Patriarch a telegram of good wishes, saying: “ May God bless your efforts to maintain communion among the Orthodox churches and to seek the fullness of communion, which is the goal of Catholic-Orthodox collaboration and dialogue.” Pope Benedict expressed his spiritual closeness and of the Catholic Church’s commitment, to cooperate with the Russian Orthodox Church, for an ever clearer witness to the truth of the Christian message and to the values, which alone can sustain today’s world along the path of peace and justice.
The Papal telegram also said : -“I ask the Lord to grant you an abundance of wisdom to discern his will to persevere in loving service to the people entrusted to your patriarchial ministry, and to sustain them in fidelity to the Gospel and the great traditions of Russian Orthodoxy. “