Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia extended his congratulations to Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia on January 27, 2025, marking the feast day of Saint Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
In his congratulatory message, Patriarch Kirill praised Saint Sava’s dedication to Christ, describing him as a cornerstone for the spiritual and cultural life of the Serbian people. He highlighted the enduring values of “brotherly love, unity, justice, and the willingness to suffer for truth,” which have helped the Serbian nation navigate times of adversity.
Patriarch Kirill also offered prayers for the strength of the Serbian people, particularly those in Kosovo and Metohija, and wished Patriarch Porfirije health and strength in his patriarchal duties. “With brotherly love in the Lord,” he concluded, affirming the bond between the two churches.
Read the congratulatory message below:
Your Holiness,
beloved Brother and Co-Servant at the throne of God!I sincerely congratulate you on the feast day of Saint Sava of Serbia.
Having dedicated himself from his youth to the Lord Jesus Christ, Saint Sava based the life of his people on Him as on the cornerstone.
Brotherly love and the desire for unity, a heightened sense of justice and a willingness to suffer for the truth – these wonderful qualities of the national character, nurtured by the Orthodox faith and the St. Sava tradition, have more than once helped the Serbs to endure during times of severe trials.
I pray to the All-Generous God that He may give strength to His people (Ps. 28:11), who are bearing the feat of confession on the sacred land of Kosovo and Metohija, and that He may grant Your Holiness good health and unfailing help in the high and responsible Patriarchal service you are performing.
With brotherly love in the Lord,
+KIRILL,
PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
