Kremlin holds official secular reception for the new Russian Patriarch

Author: Alex Freedmann Section: Major Events of the Month

Issue: March 2009, Vol. 4, No. 2

Tags: Russian Patriarch

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Patriarch Reception

The official secular reception of Patriarch Kirill was held in the Grand Kremlin Palace following his enthronization in February. The state and the new church authority demonstrated readiness to work together. “In new Russia, the relations between the state and the church are based on constitutional principles of freedom of conscience, faith and non-interference in one another’s affairs,” Medvedev said. The patriarch said right from the Byzantine era, the best brains of the church and state had been searching for an ideal model of coexistence. “This model envisages harmonious combination of interests and responsibilities, thus opening up prospects for the development of state-religious relations.”