His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with the Ambassador of Pakistan to Russia

DECR Communication service, 06.02.2025.

On February 6, 2025, a meeting took place between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Pakistan to Russia, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, at the Patriarchal and Synodal Residence in the Danilov Monastery in Moscow. The Ambassador was accompanied by the Deputy Head of the Mission, Salman Parvaiz.

Also participating in the meeting was the Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov).

Addressing Muhammad Khalid Jamali, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill noted that the Russian Orthodox Church has positive experience in interacting with Islam—primarily within Russia, where good relations have been tested by centuries of coexistence and play a significant role in maintaining an atmosphere of peace and tranquility in the country. As His Holiness reminded, there have never been religious conflicts between Orthodox Christians and Muslims in Russia.

His Holiness stated that the interaction between Orthodox Christians and Muslims "is not directed against anyone but is of great importance for strengthening our joint position as believers in God, including in dialogue with that part of our planet where religion is currently under ideological pressure from non-religious forces." He added that some states legally affirm norms of human relations (especially in the areas of morality, family, youth, etc.) that contradict traditional values and religious beliefs.

As an example of concerning trends, he cited the legalization and even state support for "gender transition" in a number of countries, including among children and adolescents. "This is an intrusion into human nature that is contrary to God's design. This is a challenge to all of us who believe in God," said His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.

In these circumstances, the topic of Orthodox-Islamic dialogue becomes even more relevant, he stated, pointing to the agreement between Orthodox Christians and Muslims in Russia on most issues, especially those related to preserving traditional values in modern society.

"We believe in one God, Who created the world and humanity. We are convinced that God's commandments should be the norms that define human life. And this means that on the most important issues, we are united. Therefore, today it is more important than ever to strengthen the relationship between Christianity and Islam... Believers in God must contribute to building the future, and on the scale of all human civilization, we can only do this together, primarily Christians and Muslims," His Holiness summarized.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill also expressed hope that Muhammad Khalid Jamali's tenure in Russia as Pakistan's diplomatic representative would contribute to the further development of relations between the religious communities of the two countries.

Expressing solidarity with the position voiced by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Ambassador of Pakistan emphasized: "We firmly believe that the interaction of religious leaders significantly contributes to improving relations between our countries. Since my arrival in Russia, I have been convinced that this country is a model for peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims, and I have seen mutual acceptance among various religious groups living side by side. When I look at the Orthodox Church, I see that we share many values, especially regarding the importance of family."

According to Muhammad Khalid Jamali, it is important not only to further improve cooperation between the two countries in the fields of economics, energy, transport infrastructure, etc., but also to foster people-to-people contacts. The Ambassador expressed his readiness to facilitate the development of dialogue and communication between religious leaders of Russia and Pakistan.

Photos by the Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.