06:28, 20 December 2008

Metropolitan: contacts between Churches of Russia and Georgia never stopped

Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Cyril has appealed to Orthodox Christians to pray for normalization of Russian-Georgian relations.

He did it after the celebratory divine service conducted by him at the Nicolas-Ugresh Monastery in the vicinity of Moscow, where the patron saint's day is marked on Friday - St Nicolas Day.

"Even during the most critical periods of the warfare in the Caucasus, links between our Churches did not stop. Being two brotherly nations, we should overcome all the sinuosity, as Orthodox believers should keep together," the "Interfax" quotes Metropolitan Cyril as saying.

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" reported that the Russian and Georgian Orthodox Churches had reconfirmed their brotherly relations, despite the August armed conflict in South Ossetia.