Vladimir Putin extends congratulations to Pope Francis on pontiff's 10-year anniversary

According to Alexander Avdeyev, Russia's ambassador to the Holy See (Vatican City), President Vladimir Putin has extended his congratulations to Pope Francis on the 10th anniversary of his election as Catholic pontiff. The message of congratulations was conveyed on Monday, reported Russian news agency TASS.

"We have today passed a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin," the diplomat said.

The Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has sent a message to the Pope, congratulating him on the 10th anniversary of his election as Catholic pontiff. The message also emphasised the significance of dialogue between religious leaders. This information was reported on the website of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Jorge Maria Bergoglio, an Argentine cardinal, was elected as the 266th Pope on March 13, 2013. He is the first Pope to take the name Francis. Throughout most of his 10-year papacy, his predecessor Benedict XVI lived at the Vatican as an honorable Pope, until his death on December 31, 2020. In 2014, Francis made the decision to canonize his two other predecessors, Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II.

Pope Francis’ 10 years as pontiff

Pope Francis marked the 10th anniversary of his election as pope on Monday. During that decade, several historic occasions, as well as several unplanned events, helped define the contours and priorities of history’s first Latin American pontiff. Visits with refugees in Italy and Greece, trips to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and the coronavirus pandemic and the death of his predecessor are some of the iconic moments that have shaped his papacy and influenced the direction of the Catholic Church at large.

Last week, Pope Francis renewed his cabinet of cardinal advisers from around the world, naming a handful of new members Tuesday and reconfirming others to help him run the Catholic Church.

Francis instituted the Council of Cardinals one month into his papacy, on April 13, 2013, with a primary goal of advising him on the reform of the Vatican bureaucracy. After nearly a decade of consultation, Francis issued a new blueprint for the Vatican bureaucracy last year.

Nevertheless, the Jesuit pope clearly appreciated the regular opportunities to consult with a small number of hand-picked cardinals representing the church on nearly every continent, and decided to keep the cabinet alive, albeit with some new members, reported AP. 

Two are important Holy See officials: the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin; and the head of the Vatican City State, Cardinal Fernando Vergez.

(with AP inputs)