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Gladness at Election of New Russian Patriarch

Wolfgang Huber congratulates Metropolitan Kirill

January 28, 2009

The chairperson of the Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany (EKD) Bishop Wolfgang Huber received with gladness the news of the election of Metropolitan Kirill as the new head of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church.  Huber, in his congratulatory message, said he recalled with fondness numerous "fraternal encounters and conversations" in the past. He wished the new spiritual leader of the approximately 150 million Orthodox Christians around the world God's blessings, as well as wisdom, courage and strength for the task before him.

He noted that the Russian Orthodox Church and the EKD for centuries have enjoyed close ties in numerous ways.  "In good times and in bad times," said the Council chairperson.  "Over the past 50 years, the trust between our two churches has grown increasingly deeper, in diverse historical, political and social contexts, and even in some difficult ecumenical situations."

The Russian Orthodox Church and the EKD can sustain the work and challenges of ecumenism through closer church collaboration, he added.

Next Sunday, 1 February, Bishop Huber will be present at Kirill's installation as the 16th Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Hanover, 28 January 2009

Press Office of the EKD
Silke Römhild