PATRIARCH KIRILL WISHES TRUMP GOD'S HELP IN OFFICE OF PRESIDENT
Interfax-Religiia, 9 November 2016
Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill greeted the newly elected president of the U.S.A., Donald Trump, with a wish for strength, God's help, and success in his upcoming "high and responsible service."
"I heartily congratulate you on your election to the office of president of the United States of America. The choice made by the American people testifies to the high confidence toward you on the part of people who are united with you in hope for the development of the country and for changes in the sphere of domestic policy and international relations," the patriarch's appeal to D. Trump says, which was distributed on Wednesday by the patriarchal press service.
The primate of the Russian Church notes that in many years "of vigorous creative activity," D. Trump acquired rich experience that will help him in answering questions pertaining to the organizing of the life of the state and society and cooperation with other countries.
"The contemporary world faces serious problems in whose resolution an important role belongs to the United States of America. Only by joint effort is it possible to resist extremism and terrorism and defend the fundamental values of high moral ideals that lie at the base of human rights and dignity," Patriarch Kirill emphasizes.
Addressing D. Trump he expresses hope that the long-standing relations of the Russian Orthodox Church with the United States will continue their development "for the good of our peoples who are united by a common history and Christian values." (tr. by PDS, posted 10 November 2016)
RUSSIAN CHURCH HOPES FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE ENTIRE SYSTEM OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS UNDER TRUMP
Metropolitan Ilarion considers that the American people voted for changes
Interfax-Religiia, 9 November 2016
The Moscow patriarchate hopes that Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election in the U.S.A. will tell positively upon the international situation.
"I do not think that we should surrender to euphoria with regard to the victory of the Republican candidate. Time will tell what kind of president he will be and whether he fulfills the promises that he gave during the election campaign. But with his election there appears a hope for improvement of the entire system of international relations and for the creation of a unified world coalition against terrorism," the head of the synod's Department for External Church Relations [OVTsS], Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Ilarion, declared in an interview with Interfax-Religiia on Wednesday.
In his opinion, the rhetoric of the American presidential candidate from the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton, did not persuade the majority of voters, "and even the active support of current President Obama did not win her votes."
"The choice was not only between two personalities. In essence, Americans faced the question: do you want for everything to remain as it was or do you want changes? And the American people voted for changes," the news agency's interlocutor thinks.
He acknowledged that as chairman of the OVTsS, he is especially interested in the topic of the Near East in connection with this election.
"The policy of America in the Near East, beginning with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and coming down to the latest events in Syria was, in my view, short-sighted and mistaken. Overthrowing one existing regime after another in Near Eastern countries, supposedly in the name of democracy, America did not lead the region either to democracy or to freedom. On the contrary, it provoked chaos, mass exodus of civilian populations, and genocide of ethnic and religious minorities," the hierarch declared.
He pointed out that the terrorists of the Islamic State (which is banned in the RF) would not have had such success in Syria and Iraq, if it had not received international support.
"Trump spoke about this directly and unambiguously. He criticized the American government for its Near Eastern policy and for refusal of an alliance with Russia. And the American people heard him," Metropolitan Ilarion added. (tr. by PDS, posted 10 November 2016)
Editorial disclaimer: RRN does
not intend to certify the accuracy of information
presented in articles. RRN simply intends to certify the
accuracy of the English translation of the contents of the
articles as they appeared in news media of countries of
the former USSR.
If material is quoted, please give credit to the
publication from which it came. It is not necessary to credit
this Web page. If material is transmitted electronically, please
include reference to the URL,
http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/.