VATICAN CITY, 2 FEB 2009 (VIS) - Made public today was the text of a Message from the Pope to His Holiness Kirill, for the occasion of his enthronement as patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The ceremony took place yesterday, 1 February, in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, who led the Holy See delegation to the enthronement ceremony, delivered the Message to Kirill, along with a chalice from the Pope "as a sign of the desire to achieve full communion as soon as possible".
In his English-language Message Benedict XVI tells the new patriarch of his "esteem" and "spiritual closeness", and adds: "I pray that our heavenly Father will grant you the abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit in your ministry and enable you to guide the Church in the love and peace of Christ".
Kirill's predecessor Alexis II, writes the Pope, "left his people a deep and abiding inheritance of ecclesial renewal and development. ... He likewise maintained a spirit of openness and co-operation with other Christians, and with the Catholic Church in particular, for the defence of Christian values in Europe and in the world.
"I am certain", he adds, "that Your Holiness will continue to build on this solid foundation, for the good of your people and for the benefit of Christians everywhere.
"As president of the Department of External Church Relations, you yourself played an outstanding role in forging a new relationship between our Churches, a relationship based on friendship, mutual acceptance and sincere dialogue in facing the difficulties of our common journey.
"It is my earnest hope", the Holy Father concludes, "that we will continue to co-operate in finding ways to foster and strengthen communion in the Body of Christ, in fidelity to our Saviour's prayer that all may be one, so that the world may believe".
BXVI-MESSAGE/ENTHRONEMENT/KIRILL VIS 20090202 (330)
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