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Patriarch Kirill I presents icon, his own book to Vatican's Secretary of State

The Patriarch handed an icon of the Virgin Mary and his book 'Liberty and Responsibility' in Italian to the Cardinal

MOSCOW, August 22. /TASS/. Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill I, who met with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Tuesday, presented his interlocutor with an icon of the Virgin Mary and with his book 'Liberty and Responsibility" in the Italian language, Meropolitan Ilarion, the chief of Moscow Patriarchate's department for external Church relations told reporters.

"The Patriarch handed an icon of the Virgin Mary and his book 'Liberty and Responsibility' in Italian to the Cardinal," he said, recalling that the Patriarch's book discusses the Christian stance on the contemporary Christian values.

When a reporter asked Metropolitan Hilarion about the possibility of a new meeting between Pope Francis I and Patriarch Kirill I, he answered that the sides did not discuss the issue in the course of the meeting.

"Neither side has spoken about it so far and we have momentous tasks that were set forth at the (February 2016) meeting in Havana and that we should fulfill," he said.

The Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived on the first official visit in Russia on Monday. His itinerary included talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Patriarch Kirill I and Metropolitan Ilarion.

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