“The heroic defense of the Brest Fortress is a symbol of unity, an image of unity and ability to overcome deadly danger and win together,” the patriarch said at a requiem meeting following the service.
Patriarch Kirill believes there should be something in life “that connects us as strongly and in some cases and situations even more strongly than blood relations.’
“We are all one family. And not only because we have the same blood, but also because we have the same history of joy and sorrow. How can we divide this history, how can we divide the Brest Fortress, into what sectors for specific ceremonies to be performed in accordance with the national preferences?” the patriarch said.
He wished peace and prosperity “to all our people, regardless of ethnic origin, the people who came from one baptismal font and who now live in different countries, […] but these people are our people and the heroes of the Brest Fortress shed their blood for them.”
In memory of his visit to the Brest Fortress, Patriarch Kirill gave the Brest Fortress an image of Our Lady Joy of All Grieving Ones, wishing for our sorrows to be materialized in joy.
