His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, answering the questions of TASS Director General A.O. Kondrashov during his Christmas interview on January 7, 2024, noted that, in his opinion, today's trials are incapable of shaking the nation or crushing its worldview, and the trials themselves are an examination for maturity, including spiritual maturity.
"The trials that fall to our lot today - they certainly wound, but they are incapable of killing us, they are incapable of shaking us as a people, they are incapable of crushing our worldview, which includes love for the Motherland and readiness to defend it," the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said.
"Every trial is sent to us not for our destruction, or at least spiritual destruction, but so that we, having passed these trials, become better. In a sense, what is happening to us today is a test of our maturity, including spiritual maturity," he continued.
According to His Holiness' deep conviction, "if there had been no revival and, God forbid, if there had been such an internecine war, it would have proceeded quite differently and its consequences would have been very dangerous for our country".
"And today, the people, the country has the potential to repel those who seek to crush our Fatherland. This is how we pray in a special prayer in the Liturgy - for peace, for the cessation of hostilities and for our victory. We hope that this will be the case," His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said.
"I want to emphasize that our victories are forged not only on the battlefield. They are forged starting from kindergartens and schools. They are forged in our youth groups in educational institutions, where young people reflect on the country, on the future, on their own lives," concluded the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
Synodal Department for Relations between the Church and Society and Mass Media/Patriarchy.ru
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