The head of the Russian Orthodox Church told Russian TV channel Rossiya 24 of his meetings with officials during the visit to Kiev and called Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych "a dedicated believer".
"We spoke of many things. It is very important to me as a pastor. I do not assess events from the political point of view. I am not an economist and do not have the opportunity to analyze things from the economic viewpoint," Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said.
"But as a pastor, I treat with attention all that happens in people's souls and consciousness," he said, adding that he is satisfied with the level of dialogue with Ukrainian officials and public figures.
Patriarch Kirill arrived in Ukraine on a pastor's visit on July 20. He has already visited the cities of Odessa and Dnepropetrovsk. His visit to Kiev ends Wednesday.
"As a politician, he [Yanukovych] is guided by the Orthodox Christian ideology, and he is a dedicated believer. Within the limits of law and the Constitution, as the president should do, he serves the cause of spiritual enlightenment of his nation," Kirill said.
The canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine is subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church's Moscow Patriarchate.
RIA Novosti
