Приветствие от Преосвященного Иринея, епископа Ричмондского и Западно-Европейского

Приветствие от Преосвященного Иринея, епископа Ричмондского и Западно-Европейского:

«To the faithful of Florence!

With heartfelt love I greet you all on this feast day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Living in a time of many difficulties, I pray you will rejoice today in the heavenly protection of the Holy Virgin, and in the rich blessings her Son bestows on all those who fervently cling to Him. I am not able to be with you myself today, but have sent our senior priest from Geneva to celebrate with you, to deliver the antimins for the Divine Services in this sacred church, and to extend to you all my greetings. We welcome you into our embrace with open arms, and in this difficult time offer you our prayers and love. Your clergy have been canonically received into the ranks of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in order that they may abide by the Holy Canons and care for your souls in the full embrace of the Church, unhindered by any schism or dissension. They are under no prohibition whatever: to the contrary, they are fully equipped now to serve without fear, without hesitation — to the glory of God and to the salvation of all your souls. I encourage you to remain strong in your faith, gentle in spirit, without any bitterness or judgement in your hearts towards anyone. The Lord Himself has guided you along the path of salvation — do not fear! Through our struggles, the Lord brings us to joy; and I know that He has precisely this in store for you: spiritual and heavenly joy that the world cannot take away. I welcome you with all my heart into our Diocese of Western Europe, and look forward to an occasion when I might visit and pray with you. Until that day, be assured of my fervent prayers for you all.

With love in Christ, +IRENEI Bishop of Richmond and Western Europe»