ADDRESS OF PATRIARCH KIRILL TO RUSSIAN ATHLETES PARTICIPATING IN THE XXIV OLYMPIC AND XIII PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES IN BEIJING
His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill sent his greetings to members of the Russian Olympic and Paralympic Teams, participants in the XXIV Olympic and XIII Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.
To the members of the Russian Olympic and Paralympic teams - participants of the XXIV Olympic and XIII Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing
Dear brothers and sisters!
I cordially welcome all of you - the members of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.
With your hard work you have earned the right to defend the honor of your homeland on the fields of sporting battles. Years of hard training under the guidance of coaches and mentors you have been honing your skills, overcoming difficulties and challenges, steeling your character and will to win. I hope that at the upcoming competitions you will be able to show impressive results, achieve considerable successes in sports and win new Olympic awards.
The well-known circumstances connected with the spread of a pernicious virus did not allow us to gather in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior for a joint worship service this time, as it was the case in previous years. However, this did not prevent us from experiencing fellowship in prayer before an important stage in your lives.
In all circumstances, trust in God's almighty help and His wise care for each person. May the almighty Lord strengthen you in the contests to come. I call upon you the blessing of God, trusting that the coming contests will contribute to the building up of peace in the world, to the ending of strife among peoples, and to the reconciliation of nations.
To the members of the Russian Olympic and Paralympic teams - participants of the XXIV Olympic and XIII Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing
Dear brothers and sisters!
I cordially welcome all of you - the members of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.
With your hard work you have earned the right to defend the honor of your homeland on the fields of sporting battles. Years of hard training under the guidance of coaches and mentors you have been honing your skills, overcoming difficulties and challenges, steeling your character and will to win. I hope that at the upcoming competitions you will be able to show impressive results, achieve considerable successes in sports and win new Olympic awards.
The well-known circumstances connected with the spread of a pernicious virus did not allow us to gather in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior for a joint worship service this time, as it was the case in previous years. However, this did not prevent us from experiencing fellowship in prayer before an important stage in your lives.
In all circumstances, trust in God's almighty help and His wise care for each person. May the almighty Lord strengthen you in the contests to come. I call upon you the blessing of God, trusting that the coming contests will contribute to the building up of peace in the world, to the ending of strife among peoples, and to the reconciliation of nations.