President of Ukraine grants state awards to primates of Local Orthodox Churches

On Saturday, July 27 2013, at the Monastery of the Caves there was a meeting of President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych with primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, who came to Kiev on the celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia

By a decree of the President of Ukraine for outstanding efforts towards strenghtening of Orthodoxy in the world, and on the occasion of the celebration of the 1025 anniversary of the Baptism of Kievan Rus' in Ukraine, the order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise of the First Degree was granted to His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, His Beatitude Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodore, His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Teophilos, His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej, His Holiness Bulgarian Patriarch Neophit, His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus, as well as Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland Sava and Metropolitan of All America and Canada Tikhon. President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych granted state awards to church dignitaries.

On behalf of the primates of the Local Orthodox Churches Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill thanked President Yanukovych and also pointed out that the celebration of the Baptism of Russia was held on the higest level in three capitals and that event had not only church but also state and national significance. He also said that it had never happened before that nine primates and representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches participate in the service at Vladimir Hill in Kiev and that it speaks of the great historical significance of the Baptism of Russia 1025 years ago as well as the support of the global Orthodoxy to canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine.

On behalf of all primates and representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches who participated in the meeting, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill granted President Yanukovych an icon of Saint Vladimir.
 

Source: Moscow Patriarchate