To His Eminence
Kevin Cardinal Farrell,
Camerlengo of the Roman Catholic Church
Your Eminence,
Please accept my heartfelt condolences on the repose of Pope Francis.
The late Pontiff led the Roman Catholic Church during a time of epochal change (Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill, §7). His name is associated with an important chapter in the relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. The historic 2016 meeting of our Primates marked a mutual desire of our Churches to heal “the wounds inflicted by conflicts of the past” and to “unite our efforts in bearing witness to the Gospel of Christ and to the shared heritage of the Church of the first millennium” (Joint Declaration §§5, 7).
For Christians around the world, His Holiness’s commitment to showing solidarity with the suffering and the marginalized was of particular significance. Constantly reminding the world that the Lord Jesus Christ is present in every poor and needy person, the Pope drew attention to many instances of injustice, violations of human dignity, and various forms of persecution—often deliberately ignored. We gratefully remember his statements in defense of religious freedom, including his support for the persecuted Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
May the All-Merciful Lord grant rest to the soul of His servant, who reposed on the second day of the universal celebration of Christ’s Resurrection, and may He receive him into the dwellings of the righteous. May He lead him “from death to life” (John 5:24), forgive all his voluntary and involuntary transgressions, and grant him everlasting memory.
With sincere condolences,
+KIRILL, PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
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