Moscow Patriarch Kirill congratulated Kim Jong Un on his “re-election to the post of Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”
The text of the congratulatory message was published on the website of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Addressing the North Korean leader as “Your Excellency,” Patriarch Kirill noted the “broad support for the course aimed at strengthening the sovereignty of the DPRK and its prosperity.”

He also emphasized that Kim Jong Un pays attention to the “development of friendly interaction between countries,” a symbol of which is the Russian Orthodox Church temple in Pyongyang.

“Its visible symbol is the Trinity Church in Pyongyang, which is part of the Korean Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and for many years has served as a place of unity for Orthodox believers,” the congratulatory message from the head of the Russian Orthodox Church states.

As is known, elections in the DPRK were held on March 15, 2026. Officially, turnout was reported at 99.99 percent and support at 99.93 percent.

Kim Jong Un was also congratulated by Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko.
As LF reported, Moscow Patriarch Kirill Gundyayev expressed condolences over the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed as a result of US and Israeli airstrikes on February 28. In the text of the address, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church calls Khamenei “a man of deep religious convictions.”

Earlier, we wrote that the head of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, noted the efforts of Moscow Patriarch Kirill aimed at supporting participants in the “special military operation.”

As LF reported, at a meeting with Russia’s ruler Vladimir Putin, Moscow Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) said that “under the tsar-father everything was good and prosperous,” because at that time the Church was “part of the state apparatus.” Gundyayev also noted that after years of persecution, “the Lord once again had mercy on the Church and on the Orthodox people,” referring to Putin’s rule.

According to LF, in November 2025 Patriarch Kirill Gundyayev stated that military valor is “inseparable” from spiritual valor, and participation in war can be considered a form of Christian service. This attempt to justify war through spiritual rhetoric provoked an immediate and sharp reaction within church circles.