Russian patriarch prays at Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue

Patriarch Kirill said that a reunification of Catholic and Orthodox churches would be a miracle

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has prayed in front of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

His tour of Latin America began last week, with a historic meeting with Pope Francis in Cuba.

He arrived in Brazil after visiting Paraguay and a Russian scientific base in the Antarctica.

From Rio, he travelled to Sao Paulo and held mass at a Russian Orthodox church, in the last stop of his visit.

Patriarch Kirill has been the head of the Russian Orthodox Church since February 2009

The statue lies on top of the Corcovado mountain, with panoramic views of the city

Other Russian Orthodox priests joined the Patriarch at a religious ceremony

Russian Orthodox symbols were displayed at the foot of the Christ statue