Kirill calls on his flock to support the Russian army

Sunday was Kirill’s 76th birthday. He celebrated it with a reception at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. There, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church proclaimed that he believed that the prospects of world civilisation depended on Russia. “The future of the world depends on the future of our Fatherland because today, it defends those values that put a barrier to apostasy, that is, the movement towards the end of time under the rule of the Antichrist.” This reports the Russian Press Agency Interfax. According to the patriarch, all the forces of the Antichrist will be thrown at Russia.

Kirill also called upon his flock to support the Russian military. “We need to strengthen the faith of our people, inspire soldiers, work with our intelligentsia, with the media so that the word of the Church spreads and helps people live, work, and fight for the Motherland.” Kirill further emphasised that his church stays out of politics. “The Church does not participate in politics in any way, but it takes to heart people's sorrow.”

Wise

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, was happy with the words of his patriarch. “Your wise pastoral word serves to consolidate the people, supports people at a time of difficult trials”, the President said in his birthday wishes.

In Kyiv, the Metropolitan Onuphryon of the Ukrainian Church, under Moscow's leadership, made different statements. He says to pray for “those who kill our people and destroy our cities.”