CWN - Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has given Pope Francis an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a copy of his book, Freedom and Responsibility. Metropolitan Hilarion, the Russian Orthodox Church’s chief ecumenical officer, gave the items to Pope Francis during a March 20 audience.

“The first steps of Your Holiness after the election were marked by humbleness," Metropolitan Hilarion said to Pope Francis.

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