Patriarch Kirill: Contacts with American Orthodox Community are very important

Patriarch Kirill has expressed his satisfaction about agreements of continuous student exchanges and organization of summer camps during the last meeting between representatives of All-church postgraduate and doctorate departments and department of spiritual education of Orthodox Church in US. Patriarch Kirill has made this statement during the meeting with Metropolitan of USA and Canada Tikhon, IA Interfax reports. The meeting was held on December 6 in Moscow.

Patriarch has also remarked that interaction of religious communities are especially important in the context of complications in Russian-American relations.

Contacts between our Churches are getting special significance in the context of complicated relations between Russia and USA. These contacts connect people sharing the same beliefs, common history and spiritual values, which might become a link between our people and enhancing reconciliation and fair cooperation, Patriarch Kirill said.

He has also invited pilgrims from abroad to come to Russia more often. In his opinion, Russia would have much pleasure to welcome them.

Russian Orthodox Church leader has mentioned that Russia has a lot to show to people much interested in Orthodox traditions, especially those who come from the North American continent.

Patriarch has noted that now Russia accepts many guests from China. He has joked that sometimes it seems that Chinese tourists in Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius prevail over Russian pilgrims.

Russkiy Mir