Addressing the officers and soldiers of the honor guard company, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia wished a "peaceful sky", adding that "every serviceman who has taken the oath should be ready, if necessary, to go and defend his people"
MOSCOW, February 23. /tass/. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia laid a wreath at the grave of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden near the walls of the Moscow Kremlin on Defender of the Fatherland Day. In his address to the servicemen, he noted that the strength of the Armed Forces and the might of the Russian army are weapons that protect the people, the press service of the primate reported on Wednesday.
"We live in peacetime, but we know that threats arise in peacetime. Unfortunately, there are threats at the moment - everyone is familiar with what is happening on the borders of our Fatherland. Therefore, I think that our servicemen cannot have any doubts that they have chosen a very correct path in their lives. Because by following this path, you protect the people even without any military action. The strength of the Armed Forces, the power of the Russian army is already a weapon that protects our people," the press service reports the patriarch's words.
Addressing the officers and soldiers of the honor guard company, the patriarch wished each of them a "peaceful sky", adding that "every serviceman who took the oath should be ready, if the Motherland needs it, to go and defend his people."
"Our people have no doubt that this is how the Russian army was brought up, that you replaced your heroic fathers and grandfathers, heroic generations of defenders of the Fatherland. And God grant that love for the Motherland, readiness for self-sacrifice, readiness to always protect your country and people are inherently present in your minds and in your hearts," said the Primate of the Russian Church.
After laying the wreath, the anthem of Russia sounded. Then the hierarchs and clergy sang "Eternal Memory" to "the leader and the soldiers who laid down their lives for the faith and the Fatherland", after which a solemn march of the honor guard company of the 154th separate commandant of the Transfiguration Regiment took place.