"His Holiness the Patriarch is aggrieved over what happened more than anyone else”, stated archpriest Nikolai Balashov, deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.
According to him, Secretariat of the President of Ukraine insistently recommended Patriarch Kirill to refrain from visiting Rivne "in view of possible confrontation which might cause grave consequences".
"In such a situation the Patriarch could not resist the decision of the Ukrainian authorities", commented archpriest Nikolai Balashov.
“The Patriarch extends his gratitude to those whowere waiting for him in Rivne and organized his trip to Rivne region, and hopes that his meeting with the flock will take place in near future”, summarized the speaker of the Moscow Patriarchate.
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