DIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND: November 18, 2016
Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, During an Archpastoral Visit to Australia, Sends Congratulations to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on his 70th Birthday

From the Editors: Today, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, presiding over the 18th Diocesan Conference of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, sent His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia greetings on his upcoming 70th birthday. During divine services at the conference, the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church is being specially commemorated, as is Vladyka Hilarion on the 20th anniversary of his appointment to the Australian Diocese.

To His Holiness
Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Russia

Your Holiness Vladyka!

On behalf of the episcopate, clergymen and laity of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, I extend my heartfelt congratulations on your 70th birthday, and hasten to express our most profound sentiments of respect and devotion.

Despite the turbulent waves of life on earth, when at times they seem to overcome the Ship of the Church, you as its wise helmsman hold aloft the ideals of the Good Pastor of the Gospel and with pure, Christian patience and humility endure all trials and tribulations. In our difficult times, your bright intellect and good heart illuminate the days of our lives and color them with your Patriarchal prayers on our behalf and through your preaching of Christ.

Today, we mark your seventieth birthday with love, and venerate your labors and efforts, and we lift our prayers with gratitude to the Chief Pastor Christ for your good health, for the repose of your pious parents and spiritual guides. At the same time, we pray for peace in the lands of the canonical territory of our Mother Church, we pray for the flock entrusted to you and all those celebrating today who are pious and dedicated devotees of Your Holiness.

We pray that today’s celebrations bring joy, renewal and inspiration to our brother archpastors, pastors and laity of the united Russian Church, that from this great gathering of Patriarchs and representatives of the Holy Churches of God, Orthodox peoples, hierarch, clergymen and believers, rivers of Christ’s peace would spring forth, so that love, goodness, mercy, faith, meekness, abstention and other Christian virtues become the possession of all who hear your good Patriarchal words. Amen.

Beseeching your holy prayers, I remain with love in the Lord and respect,

+HILARION,
Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.