Kirill | |
|---|---|
| Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' | |
 Patriarch Kirill in 2023 | |
| Native name | Кирилл |
| Church | Russian Orthodox Church |
| See | Moscow |
| Installed | 1 February 2009 |
| Predecessor | Alexy II |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 7 April 1969 |
| Consecration | 14 March 1976 by Nikodim (Rotov) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev 20 November 1946 Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Denomination | Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Alma mater | Leningrad Theological Academy |
| Signature |  |
| Coat of arms |  |
Kirill or Cyril (Russian: Кирилл, Church Slavonic: Ст҃ѣ́йшїй патрїа́рхъ Кѷрі́ллъ, secular name Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev, Russian: Владимир Михайлович Гундяев; born 20 November 1946) is a Russian Orthodox bishop. He became Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' and Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church on 1 February 2009.
| Styles of Patriarch Kirill | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | His Holiness |
| Spoken style | Your Holiness |
| Religious style | Patriarch |
Prior to becoming Patriarch, Kirill was Archbishop (later Metropolitan) of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, and also Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church's Department for External Church Relations. He has been a permanent member of the Holy Synod since 1989.
A close ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Kirill has described Putin's rule as "a miracle of God".[1] According to Putin, Kirill's father baptized him.[1] During his tenure as Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus', Kirill has brought the Russian Orthodox Church closer to the Russian state.[2] Kirill's relationship with Bartholomew I of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch and the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide, has been tense.[3]
Kirill has lauded the Russian invasion of Ukraine, justifying the war as a struggle against "forces of evil". The World Russian People's Council under his leadership described the conflict as a "Holy War". Clergy in other Orthodox Churches have condemned his remarks, with Bartholomew I saying that Kirill's support for Putin and the war were "damaging to the prestige of the whole of Orthodoxy".[4][3]
- ^ a b Netburn, Deborah (29 March 2022). "A spiritual defense of the war in Ukraine? Putin's patriarch is trying". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
- ^ Cichowlas, Ola (14 April 2017). "Patriarch Kirill: From Ambitious Reformer to State Hardliner". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
- ^ a b MacFarquhar, Neil; Kishkovsky, Sophia (18 April 2022). "Ukraine War Divides Orthodox Faithful". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
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