Patriarch Kirill visits North Caucasus

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia visited North Caucasus and arrived in Kabardino-Balkaria.

Patriarch arrived in Nalchik airport and was met with bread and salt and traditional folk group.

Vestnik Kavkaza reports that Patriarch Kirill accepts this visit as important since this is his first visit to Kabardino-Balkaria and consecration of St. Mary Magdalene church. The consecration of this church will be the first event in a series of upcoming festivities to mark the 460th anniversary of Kabardino-Russian relations. It will be celebrated in 2017.

Kabardinian princess, who was married to Ivan the Terrible, was named in honor of this saint. Special connections of Russia and Kabardino-Balkaria started from that time.

“This is my first visit to the North Caucasus, where the majority of people are Muslims. I attach great importance to this,” he said.

He also pointed out the importance of Christian values, “We know what tremendous forces are used today to detach Christians from an authentic understanding of God’s moral law. And we know what a catastrophe occurs in Western Europe and in the rich American-European world in general,” Vestnik Kavkaza reports.