Russian Orthodox Church patriarch in Romania for first post-1989 visit

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, is in Bucharest for a three-day visit, set to end on October 28. He was invited by patriarch Daniel, the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, to attend the religious ceremonies occasioned by the celebration of St. Dimitrie the New, the protector of Bucharest. This is the first visit of a head of the Russian Church after the fall of Communism. The previous one was made by Patriarch Alexy I, who visited Romania in 1962. Patriarch Kirill’s visit coincides with the ten-year anniversary of Patriarch Daniel taking over as head of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Kirill is considered by some the second most powerful man in Russia after president Vladimir Putin. He is also a controversial figure due to his connections with the Soviet secret police KGB. His visit to Romania was organized by the Orthodox Church and the local political leaders have only been informed of it, according to Hotnews.ro. The relations between Romania and Russia have cooled since the country became an EU and NATO member. Romania is hosting in Deveselu the antimissile defense system Aegis Ashore, part of the US anti-missile shield and integrated into NATO’s anti-ballistic defense system. It was inaugurated in May 2016, despite Russia’s opposition. However, the two countries have strong religious ties and mostly an Orthodox population. Some 86% of Romania’s population is Orthodox, according to the 2011 census. The Russian patriarch arrived in Bucharest on October 26 and brought with him the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov. They were laid at the Russian Church in the capital. He will also take part in the ceremonies marking the baptism of Daniel as patriarch. In a short message at his arrival, patriarch Kirill spoke of the shared values of Orthodoxy. “We, Orthodox Christians live in different countries but we should know we have shared values. This means we have an extraordinary potential for cooperation and interaction. The good relations between people can happen only if they have shared values,” he said, quoted by News.ro. In his turn, patriarch Daniel thanked him for paying the visit and for coming “to commemorate the defenders of Orthodoxy during Communism.” The visit of patriarch Kirill to Bucharest was marked by an artistic protest, staged by Romanian film director Alexandru Solomon on October 26. The director protested Kirill’s visit in the yard of the Romanian Patriarchy. The director carried around his neck photographs of Vladimir Putin, patriarchs Kirill and Daniel, and of Social Democrat Party (PSD) leader Liviu Dragnea. He cut himself on his left palm and handed out money to those around.