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Russian Orthodox Church Selects Its New Patriarch
By John P. Connolly, The Bulletin
The Russian Orthodox Church has chosen its first new leader since the fall of the Iron Curtain, choosing the interim leader selected at the death of Patriarch Alexy II.
Metropolitan Kirill Gundyaev of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, 62, received 508 votes out of 700 to become the successor to Patriarch Alexy, who died in December.
Patriarch Kirill served for years as the church’s external relations chief. He is seen as a modernizer, more likely than his rivals to seek a measure of independence from the state and better relations with the Vatican.
The son of a priest, Patriarch Kirill headed the external relations department of the world’s largest Orthodox Christian church for nearly 20 years. Together with Patriarch Alexy, Patriarch Kirill stands for the encouragement of the dialogue between Orthodoxy and the other Christian confessions and world religions. He has met with Pope Benedict XVI on numerous occasions, discussing the most complex questions facing the Christian churches and their believers.
Patriarch Kirill will be installed on Sunday.
Within Russia, the decision is seen as a stand for church independence, as Patriarch Kirill is a political leader. The Russian Orthodox Church has served the state for much of its 1,000-year history, and although that has changed in the post-Soviet era, some have noticed a heavier governmental hand since Vladimir Putin rose to power in 2000.
John P. Connolly can be reached at jconnolly@thebulletin.us
Metropolitan Kirill Gundyaev of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, 62, received 508 votes out of 700 to become the successor to Patriarch Alexy, who died in December.
Patriarch Kirill served for years as the church’s external relations chief. He is seen as a modernizer, more likely than his rivals to seek a measure of independence from the state and better relations with the Vatican.
The son of a priest, Patriarch Kirill headed the external relations department of the world’s largest Orthodox Christian church for nearly 20 years. Together with Patriarch Alexy, Patriarch Kirill stands for the encouragement of the dialogue between Orthodoxy and the other Christian confessions and world religions. He has met with Pope Benedict XVI on numerous occasions, discussing the most complex questions facing the Christian churches and their believers.
Patriarch Kirill will be installed on Sunday.
Within Russia, the decision is seen as a stand for church independence, as Patriarch Kirill is a political leader. The Russian Orthodox Church has served the state for much of its 1,000-year history, and although that has changed in the post-Soviet era, some have noticed a heavier governmental hand since Vladimir Putin rose to power in 2000.
John P. Connolly can be reached at jconnolly@thebulletin.us
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