Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill on July 25 in Dnipropetrovsk touted a full-blown dialogue between his Church and Muslim communities, which he said “is aimed at popularizing a religious factor among ordinary people.”
Speaking at Dnepropetrovsk University in Ukraine on Saturday, the Patriarch specifically urged the continuation of the dialogue to help resolve an array of pressing humanitarian issues.
Kirill is scheduled to celebrate the 1022nd anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan Rus on July 27-28 in Kyiv. Law-enforcement agencies have asked motorists to avoid routes near Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, where Kirill will preside over festivities.
Ukrainian nationalist groups in Kyiv are expected to protest against Kirill’s visit in front of St. Sophia Cathedral on July 26 and Vladimirskaya Gorka on July 27.
