Overview
- The XII Churchwide Social Ministry Congress is underway in Moscow from November 8–11 under Patriarch Kirill, with a stated focus on supporting those returning from the front and their families.
- Kirill presented Dmitry Medvedev with the Order of the Holy Prince Dmitry Donskoy, First Class, citing contributions to church–state relations and his 60th birthday.
- Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova and Human Rights Council chair Valery Fadeev received church orders at a ceremony broadcast on the Moscow Patriarchate’s website.
- Kirill recommended that dioceses hold prayer services for family well-being tied to the June 1 Day of Protection of Children, with common liturgical texts to be prepared by church commissions.
- The patriarch urged parishes to create support groups for relatives of people with addictions and declared support for foster families a priority, noting existing church structures and designated clergy for this work.