The solemn of newly elected the 16 th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, to the patriarchal throne has begun - during the Divine Liturgy on Sunday at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, in Moscow, Vesti Tv channel reported.
Patriarch Alexy II, died Dec. 5, 2008. Local Council elected new keeper of the Russian Orthodox Church on 27 January.
The chairman of the Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad became the new keeper of the Patriarchal throne. He received more than 70% of the delegates of the Council - bishops, clergy, a monk and laity, representing all the dioceses, institutions, spiritual and synodal School of the Moscow Patriarchate.