The Russian Orthodox Church Elects New Patriarch

Bonum certamen certavi, cursum consummavi, fidem servavi. (2 Timothy 4:7)

According to BBC, the Russian Orthodox Church has elected senior cleric Metropolitan Kirill, 62, as its new leader, to succeed Patriarch Alexiy II, who died last month.

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, won 508 votes in a secret ballot at Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral, defeating Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, who won just 169 votes, Christian Today announces.

He is now Patriarch Kirill I of Russia.

This was an election without precedent, BBC's James Rodgers in Moscow says.

Metropolitan Kirill received 508 of the 700 votes cast during an all-day Church congress in Moscow's ornate Christ the Savior Cathedral, the head of the commission responsible for the election, Metropolitan Isidor, said hours after the secret ballot was over, The Christian Post reports.

"I accept and thank the Church Council for my election as Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia", Kirill said after the results of the ballot in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour were announced.

Both Putin and Medvedev called Patriarch Kirill I later to congratulate him.

Catholic News Service reports Pope Benedict XVI said he learned "with joy" of the election of Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad - a prelate he has met three times - as the new Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The last time the Russian Orthodox Church chose a leader was in 1990, when the Soviet Union still existed.

Since then, Russia has changed beyond recognition, and the Orthodox Church in Russia has been reunited with the Church outside the country.

Across Russia thousands of Churches and Monasteries have been re-opened or rebuilt.

That was one of the achievements of Patriarch Alexiy II.

According to Julia Duin of the Washington Times, the reason that Kirill was an intriguing choice is that he has been involved in ecumenical activities since 1971, when he represented the Moscow Patriarchate at the World Council of Churches.

The Russian Orthodox Church counts in its congregation more than 100 million people in Russia and tens of millions elsewhere.

I congratulate Patriarch Kirill I of Russia on the fine and important work he does.

"Euge, serve bone et fidelis", Matthew 25:23.