Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia on September 8 officiated at a service in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral “God’s Birth” in Chisinau. The religious ceremony, which lasted for three hours, was attended by senior state officials and thousands of faithful people. At the end of the service, the Patriarch gave a speech, saying that beyond the problems confronting society, the faith in God is the force that unites people, IPN reports.
The official said that his heart filled with joy when he saw so many people in front of the Cathedral. “We gathered here not to discuss political problems, not to defend somebody’s rights and not to cause confrontations between people. We came here to surround the Christian Church with love,” said the Patriarch.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church stated that the greatest power of the people is the power of the faith. This system of values is several centuries old and nobody could demolish it. These values must be used in politics too so as to avoid conflicts between the people and the authorities. The Patriarch said that he prayed to God for Moldova not to witness conflicts and confrontations, for the people to be united and for the economic problems that made the people go abroad and leave their children at home to disappear.
“Moldova is not a large country, but it has enough force to build a prosperous state. We must not forget that the internal economic problems are transitory. Moldova must keep its spiritual will for the common interest of the country,” said His Holiness. He presented the Icon of Saint Mary “Odighitria” to the Metropolitan Cathedral, while many of the faithful received small icons.
After the service, the Patriarch had a meeting with Prime Minister Iurie Leanca and then took part in an official reception given at the Palace of the Republic.
After he arrived in Chisinau on September 7, the Patriarch had a meeting with President Nicolae Timofti. The head of state voiced hope that the visit of Patriarch Kiril will contribute to strengthening the Christian community in the countries that share the Orthodox religion. “In this period when the world is polarized, the Church’s goal is to bring the people closer,” said the head of state. He added that the cooperation between the Moldovan Orthodox Church and the authorities is positive. “We believe in the power of the dialogue.”
Nicolae Timofti told Patriarch Kirill that Moldova is firm in its decision to follow the path to European integration, which, according to him, will be for the benefit of the Orthodox Church and of all its supporters in Moldova.
For his part, Patriarch Kirill underlined the importance of promoting morality in the Christian community and approved of the role played by the Moldovan Metropolitan Church in strengthening the county’s sovereignty.
The official also met with the chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party, former Prime Minister Vlad Filat, who said that the Moldovan people is a people with traditions that believes in God and this helps it overcome the difficulties.
Patriarch Kirill is now in Tiraspol, where he will also hold a service. He will then visit the monastery in Chitcani village and the fortress Tighina. At 16.00, the Patriarch will give a press briefing, at the end of his visit to Moldova.
