On October 1-2 the Primatial visitation of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill to the Diocese of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna began.
On the official delegation accompanying His Holiness were: chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokalamsk, head of administrative secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchy His Grace Sergius, Bishop of Solnechnogorsk, Deputy Chairman of the DECR archpriest Nicholas Balashov, head of the press-office of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia archpriest Volodymyr Vyhylyanskyy, DECR Secretary for Inter-Orthodox Relations archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, deputy chairman of the Synodal Information Department I.V. Meshchan, deputy chairman assistant of the DECR archdeacon Volodymyr Nazarkin, acting head of the personal secretariat of His Holiness patriarch Kirill M.G.Kuksov.
At the airport of Chernivtsi His Holiness Patriarch Kirill was met by Metropolitan Onuphrius of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna, Archbishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy and Vyshneve, Vicar of the Diocese of Chernivtsi His Grace Meletiy, Bishop of Khotyn, Minister of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine Yuri Boiko, chief of the regional state administration of Chernivtsi region V,M. Manylych, acting mayor of Chernivtsi V.M. Mykhailyshyn, Ukrainian Parliament members, clergymen of the Diocese of Chernivtsi.
Addressing the media representatives , His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said:
"I would like to heartily congratulate all the residents of Bukovina, Chernivtsi and express joy at the opportunity of visiting this special place, exclusively associated with very complex and difficult history, but prominent for its amazingly resilient people standing in the Orthodox faith. Owing to this Orthodox faith a special power of spirit has developed in the nation, and we know that the people survived through all the historical vicissitudes precisely because they stood in the Orthodox faith.
I came here to perform great dedication of the newly built church and talk to the clergy and faithful people, to pray with you, my dear brothers and sisters. May the blessings of God will help the residents of Bukovina to rise from strength to strength, overcoming difficulties and arranging your lives, mostly in the law of Christ. So help you God in this. "
From the airport the Primate of the Russian Church went to Chernivtsi diocesan administration.
Press office of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
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