A large group of priests and journalists met Patriarch Cyril at the airport. His visit to Ukraine is already regarded as historical, unprecedented in length and in area covered. He visited over a dozen churches and monasteries, attended as many services and saw tens of thousands of believers all along the way.
Ukrainian nationalists tried to stage provocations and scuffles but failed. The believers surpassed them in numbers.
As it happened, those who had been given posters discrediting the patriarch put them down as he approached and folded their hands to receive his blessing. The patriarch blessed them.
The patriarch said he was stunned by Ukrainians’ fidelity to the Orthodox faith which is proof of the unanimity of Russians and Ukrainians. To support it, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church is even ready to take dual citizenship.
