Patriarch Kirill: Visiting the Holy Land makes a great spiritual impact on one’s life

November 14, 2012 – the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church completed his visit to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. At Queen Alia Airport in Jordan, His Holiness Kirill was seen off by Metropolitan Theophylaktos of Jordan and the Patriarch of Jerusalem’s representative to the Moscow Patriarchate, Archimandrite Stephan Dispirakis.

Speaking to the mass media reporters present at the airport, His Holiness said that his trip to the Holy Land was of the utmost importance as it was filled with significant events, among them the consecration of the Church of All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Russian Land at the Gorneye Convent and the visit to the Pilgrims Hospice in Jordan.

‘It is important that as many as possible pilgrims come to the Holy Land, for pilgrimage is a spiritual charge for a person. Coming in touch with shrines strengthens one’s faith and often helps to rethink one’s life. The Holy Land makes a great spiritual impact on a person’.

In addition, he said, an increased number of pilgrims from the Russian Church implies Russia’s strengthening her relations with the countries with holy places – Israel, Jordan and the Palestine Autonomy.

Patriarch Kirill also noted that the development of pilgrimage has as its consequence the strengthening of the Orthodox Church’s position in holy places. ‘Already now we can see the large-scale restoration work carried out in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s churches. Certainly, it is also a result of the appearance of our pilgrims because it helps to increase, among other things, the financial resources of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, and we are delighted at this because for long years the holy places stood in need of very serious restoration’.

DECR Communication Service

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Patriarch Kirill: Visiting the Holy Land makes a great spiritual impact on one’s life

Patriarch

Department Chairman

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Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons