Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church congratulated Pope Francis, who celebrated ten years since his election as head of the Roman Catholic Church on Monday, writes dpa.

In his letter, Cyril speaks of “dialogue between religions,” a statement welcomed by the Vatican, given that there has been no form of communication between the sovereign pontiff and the Russian patriarch for months.

Pope Francis has expressed several times the hope that he will be able to talk with Cyril about ways to establish peace in Ukraine after the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022.

Kirill is a staunch supporter of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and Pope Francis has acknowledged that such a dialogue is unlikely to be successful.

It is currently unclear whether the Russian patriarch’s letter could be a sign of a thaw in relations, writes dpa, reports Agerpres.

According to the official statement of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill expressed “hope that in the difficult times in which we live, the dialogue between religious leaders can have positive results.”

He also conveyed “wishes for health and peace of mind” to Pope Francis.

Born in Argentina, Francis, 86, became the first Latin American pope on March 13, 2013, succeeding Benedict XVI, the first pope in six centuries to resign. During his 10-year pontificate, Francis exceeded the average duration of the previous 265 pontificates of 7.5 years. During this period, he visited 60 states and territories, covering almost 410,000 km, but did not return to his native Argentina, an absence that caused much speculation.

Cyril’s address to Pope Francis

On Saturday, Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow called on Pope Francis and other religious leaders to persuade Ukraine to stop repression against the historic wing of the church that supports Russia, Reuters reports.

Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the head of the Coptic Church in Egypt, Pope Tawadros, as well as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk are among the many leaders who have addressed.

On Friday, Kyiv ordered the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to leave the monastery complex of the Pechersk Lavra, where it is located, because the government says the church is pro-Russian and cooperates with Moscow.

The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine reported that the BOU should leave the Pechersk Lavra by March 29.

Patriarch Kirill I called on religious figures and international organizations “to make every effort to prevent the forced closure of the monastery, which will lead to the violation of the rights of millions of Ukrainian believers,” the message says.

The Patriarch of Moscow strongly supported the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops. BOU says he has severed ties with Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate and is the victim of a political witch hunt.

Since October, the Security Service of Ukraine has periodically raided BOU churches, imposed sanctions on bishops and financiers, and initiated criminal cases against dozens of clergymen.

The majority of Ukrainian Orthodox believers belong to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which was formed four years ago by the union of branches independent of Moscow authorities.