Аfter the meeting of the joint working committee Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow and Russia answered the question of the editor our Web site: Your Holiness, what is the significance of the Russian Church Abroad for the entire Russian Church?
The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad bore witness openly and without constraint at a time when the Russian Church at home was unable to carry out her mission in the same way that this was open to the Church Abroad. And this was ROCOR’s particular contribution: she maintained a Russian Orthodox presence in very challenging circumstances – both political and economic. We know the difficulties that the clergy of the Church Abroad had to overcome, and the immense complexities of organizing parish life anew. All the same, she fulfilled her call to mission, which she successfully carries out to this day. We felt, therefore, that the unification of the Russian Church did more than merely put right a historical injustice or heal past difficulties in our common church heritage. As a result of the unification, we have all grown stronger, enabling us to fulfill our ministry, each one in the place assigned to him by the Lord.
The editor of this Web site wishes many more years of ministry to our Great Lord and Father: Eis polla eit despota!
