On Easter Day, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia contacted Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station. This tradition of communicating with crew members has become regular - the Patriarch gets in touch with cosmonauts on Christmas and Easter.
Patriarch Kirill shared his dream of flying into space, recalling that he once had such a dream.
When I discussed this dream with sober-minded people, I was told that priests of my generation are unlikely to fly into space, but the next generation may have access to it.
His Holiness the Patriarch recalled his feelings when, as a schoolboy, he learned about Yuri Gagarin's flight into space. He called this moment an extraordinary event and emphasized that, despite the past decades, space exploration remains a difficult task.
The commander of the Soyuz MS-27 crew, Sergei Ryzhikov, congratulated the Patriarch on Easter and reminded him of the significant dates to be celebrated this year - the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the 70th anniversary of Baikonur, created by front-line soldiers.
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