On the feast of the Nativity of Christ, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill held a teleconference with members of the crew of the International Space Station

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On January 7, 2025, on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia held a traditional teleconference with cosmonauts on duty aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Currently, the crew of the 72nd long-term expedition is working on the ISS, which is attended by Roscosmos cosmonauts: Hero of the Russian Federation Alexei Nikolaevich Ovchinin, Hero of the Russian Federation Ivan Viktorovich Wagner and Alexander Viktorovich Gorbunov.
The crew also includes astronauts from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, USA) Sunita Williams, Barry Wilmore, Donald Pettit, Nicholas Hague.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, in particular, said: 
"I cordially greet you and congratulate you on the great holiday that is being celebrated today in our country, unlike in previous years, when government policy practically excluded such a very important factor from the life of the people as faith in God. Today, everything has changed, everyone can choose their own way of life, their own view of the world, and this has led to a very significant increase in the role of the religious factor in the life of our people. These changes have especially affected the life of the Orthodox Church, which has always been a patriotic force, always on the side of the people and the state, even at a time when the state was fighting religion.
Indeed, today we live in a completely different country. Everyone can openly profess their faith, no one is shy about their views, and this unites our people very much. But in talking to you, I would like to say the most important thing. Each of you is a hero, and everyone becomes a Hero of Russia, even more than once. What you're doing is heroic. And what is heroism? Heroism is self—denial: when the tasks that a person faces become more important than health, well-being, and even life itself. It is these people who risk their lives for the good of the Motherland and become heroes.
Today we have heroes who are fighting on the battlefield for the future of Russia and the entire Russian world. But we also have heroes whose professional activities are associated with maximizing their efforts. Astronauts are heroes in the minds of our people. And I cordially welcome you and thank you for the opportunity to meet you face to face on such a great holiday for the Orthodox Russian people, to talk and wish God's help and strength in worthy service to the Motherland and the people."
In response, Alexander Ovchinin thanked His Holiness for his congratulations and said: "Your Holiness, thank you very much for your kind words. On behalf of the crew of the International Space Station, allow me also to congratulate you, all believers and all residents of our country on this bright holiday, Merry Christmas, and wish you, first of all, good health, strong faith, kindness, peace, happiness, prosperity and all the best."
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill also noted: 
"Thank you very much. I'm looking at you in a spaceship and remembering my youthful dreams. After Gagarin's flight, space began to be perceived in a special way in the minds of our people, and I, then a seventh-grade student, also had the idea of becoming an astronaut. But the Lord turned my life in such a way that I have nothing to do with heaven in the material sense of the word, but in the spiritual sense, of course, I do, because I serve to make the spirit of our people strong.
Strictly speaking, everything ultimately depends on the state of the human soul. Actions are motivated by consciousness. A person goes to a feat not out of fear, not out of opportunistic considerations, not for the sake of a salary, but consciously, guided by high life principles and the desire to benefit the Fatherland. So you are heroes in peacetime, an example for our youth, and God forbid that it will remain so in the future. Of course, I sincerely wish you good health. All astronauts are in good health, but you need to feel safe in orbit, so that the return is calm, peaceful, and successful, and so that the feat performed by astronauts remains attractive to our youth. Not in the sense that everyone should become an astronaut, but so that everyone could sort of test themselves, correlating their lives and their ideals with the feat that our people are doing in space today. Therefore, many thanks to you for the mission you are carrying out. This not only helps to solve scientific and technical problems, but also has a great educational value for our youth."
In conclusion, the Russian cosmonauts expressed their gratitude to His Holiness for the joy of communion on the bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ. 
"Thank you for your kind words! Indeed, we understand that maybe some of the young people will see us and want to work in the space industry, if not become an astronaut. We are also making every effort to do this. We communicate with schoolchildren, students, and talk about our work. Yes, the work of an astronaut is not easy, but it is interesting, so we are always glad to see new personnel in our industry," concluded A.N. Ovchinin.

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