On Tuesday, Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, brought 70th birthday greetings from Pope Francis to Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The patriarch welcomed the cardinal and those accompanying him, and spoke about the common efforts of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, particularly after the historic meeting of the Pope and Patriarch last February in Havana.
The cardinal thanked Patriarch Kirill for his words and then delivered the greetings of the Pope:
“I wish to convey to Your Holiness, my beloved brother in Christ, the assurance of my personal best wishes and fervent prayers on the occasion of your seventieth birthday. I thank the Lord for the abundant blessings that he has bestowed upon you in your life and in your ministry as Pastor of the Russian Orthodox Church. I am especially grateful for your personal contribution to the rapprochement between our Churches and I recall with great emotion our historic meeting in Havana.”
Read the report from the Russian Orthodox Church here: https://mospat.ru/en/2016/11/22/news138889/
Patriarch Kirill’s birthday is Nov. 20. He has been the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church since 2009.
