Patriarch Kirill’s Christmas message on reviving true values

(January 8, 2009) The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill I has affirmed the fundamental value of truth in his message for Christmas. The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on Jan. 7, according to the old Julian calendar, which is 13 days "behind" the Gregorian calendar adopted by the Catholic, Protestant and some Orthodox Churches as well as the secular world. "The life of a person who has gone astray may outwardly seem to be a successful one," Patriarch Kirill acknowledged, "yet this does not mean that error is without consequence: sooner or later it will manifest itself, including in the tragedy of human destinies." Divine truths, the patriarch stated, "today have ceased to be ideals." He pointed out that the substitution of true vales by false ones explains the significance of tragic events that take away hundreds of lives, the crises that have had a “global impact on the economy, politics, the environment, family life, the generation gap, and many other things.” Patriarch Kirill affirmed that "Divine truth ought to be the main compass for all human activity, for growth and movement forward."