VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Your Holiness, priests, arch-priests, and guests,
In congratulating Your Holiness on the election as Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, I would primarily like to note that this confers tremendous responsibilities on you.
There is no doubt that the Russian Orthodox Church is a major part of the world's Christianity, as it is the most numerous and influential Orthodox Church.
In a dialogue with other sister churches, the Russian Orthodox Church has always upheld, and I hope will continue to uphold, the national and spiritual identity of the Russian people. We very much hope that this process will continue.
The Russian Orthodox Church and Orthodoxy have played a special role in Russia. In the life of other nations, even those where Christianity originated, it paved the way to a change in the domestic political and state structure, whereas in Russia, Orthodoxy played a completely different role by engendering Russian statehood.
The Church has always been with the people, both in the most difficult times and during the Russian state's heyday. Today, we also feel the contribution of the Russian Orthodox Church to Russia's revival.
The Russian Orthodox Church has always supported multi-polar views in Russia, and always facilitated the formation of a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state. We are hoping that it will continue doing so in the future, Your Holiness.
The Church has always been very loyal to all citizens of the country regardless of their ethnic origin or religion. It has always promoted peace between different religions in Russia, thereby consolidating the country.
We realize what responsibilities you will have to shoulder, and we are hoping that, like your predecessors, you will spare no effort to consolidate the faith and the Russian state.
Please accept my congratulations and very best wishes.
