Patriarch Kirill Revealed His Baptismal Name
The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', Kirill, revealed little-known details about his family history to the public, stating that he was baptized after his uncle Vladimir, who disappeared during the first days of the Great Patriotic War.
TL;DR
- Patriarch Kirill's baptismal name is Vladimir, after his uncle.
- His uncle, Vladimir, was a signaller in the Brest Fortress and disappeared during the start of the Great Patriotic War.
- The family received no information about his fate for many years.
- The Patriarch's mother initially forbade mentioning him as deceased.
- The Patriarch's father, a priest, later held a memorial service for his uncle.
- Patriarch Kirill was tonsured a monk in 1969 and given his current name.