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Text Box: His election, January 27, 2009, is likely to strengthen efforts to heal the 1,000-year-old schism between Russian Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. The 62 year old Patriarch views traditional morality and dogma as essential for mankind, and believes cooperation between Orthodox Catholics and Roman Catholics is essential, saying shortly after the election of Pope Benedict XVI (whom he has met numerous times), cooperation is, “absolutely necessary”. He added, “I think the place of Christian values in the world will in many ways depend on the character of Orthodox-Catholic relations, at least on the European continent.” Prior to his election as Patriarch, Metropolitan Kirill criticized liberal, immorally based concepts of human rights, particularly those concepts which equate the ability to perform certain acts with the right to perform those acts, as contrary to Orthodox teaching when, in 2006, he was the principal author of a declaration adopted by the 10th World Council of Russian Peoples. It stated: “There are

Text Box: values which are no less important than human rights. These values include faith, morality, and the sanctity of holy objects and one’s homeland.” It further stated, “We must not allow situations to occur in which the realization of human rights tramples upon religious or moral traditions, insults religious or national feelings or sacred objects, or threatens our homeland’s existence.” Though the Patriarch’s rise to prominence in the Russian Orthodox Church began under Communist rule and supervision of the Church by the KGB, it is believed he will strongly assert the Church as being independent from any vestige of control by the government, by the state.

Text Box: Given Patriarch Kirill’s statements regarding the necessity for cooperation between Orthodox and Catholics, and those of Pope Benedict XVI, it is possible relations between the two Churches will soon improve +

Text Box: METROPOLITAN KIRILL ELECTED PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad was enthroned (installed) as Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia on Sunday, 1 February 2009, at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow .

Text Box: YOUR PERSEVERANCE IN SPIRITUAL MEDITATION Test it by contemplating, really contemplating, the following, and applying that contemplation to your life. Phil. 3:7-12 3:7. But the things that were gain to me, the same I have counted loss for Christ. 3:8. Furthermore, I count all things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ, my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but as dung, that I may gain Christ. 3:9. And may be found in him, not having my justice, which is of the law, but that which is of the faith of Christ Jesus, which is of God: justice in faith. 3:10. That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings: being made conformable to his death, 3:11. If by any means I may attain to the resurrection which is from the dead. 3:12. Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect: but I follow after, if I may by any means apprehend, wherein I am also apprehended by Christ Jesus. +

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