Home page News
Talk between Patriarch Kirill and Archbishop Ieron…

Talk between Patriarch Kirill and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens

[gallery]

On May 25, 2012, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece and his delegation at the Patriarchal residence in St. Daniel’s Monastery in Moscow.

Addressing the guests, Patriarch Kirill said he was glad to welcome His Beatitude Ieronymos and his retinue to the administrative and spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church with its official residence of the Patriarch and the Synod. His Holiness related to the Greek delegation the graphic and dramatic history of the Monastery of St. Daniel, the oldest cloister in Moscow, which was closed in the 20th century during the persecution for faith and re-opened before the celebrations on the occasion of the Millennium of the Baptism of Russia.

‘I rejoice in the opportunity to discuss with you and the most reverend bishops who accompany you our bilateral cooperation and interaction’, Patriarch Kirill said and dwelt upon cooperation in social service as one of the aspects of these relations.

‘We take close to our hearts the misfortune that has fallen upon the lot of the Greek people and believe that the Church should live up to the principle clearly stated by St Paul: ‘If one part suffers, every part suffers with it’ (1 Cor. 12:26). The Orthodox solidarity should also be extended to difficult circumstances. Our country, throughout her history including in the 20th century, has experienced great many a hardship. We know what a deep economic crisis and complete collapse of the economy are. In the 90s we went through this trial and know that crises involve not only a decline in people’s living conditions but often also illnesses and deaths, loss of jobs and houses and disintegration of families. We experienced all this in the recent past’, he said.

His Holiness Kirill noted that thanks to the timely efforts made by the Russian leaders during the crisis which affected the whole world and could affect Russia as well, it became possible to maintain people’s standards of life. ‘We managed to avoid such tragic consequences as happened in many other countries, though the rate of economic development decreased of course and the problem of poverty remained as acute as it was before. And today the Russian Orthodox Church seeks to develop her social service in order to support those in need, especially the homeless, the elderly and orphans and those whose salary or allowance is below the subsistence level. Our Church has no such sources of income as other Churches in Europe have: we have no real estate that could bring in return or capital stock. The Russian Church carries out her work using the donations of the flock alone. Of course, the size of funds thus received cannot be guaranteed as it is very much dependent on people’s wellbeing and their readiness to donate for a good cause. But by God’s mercy we can see that people do respond to an appeal for aid in carrying out social programs’, he stated.

Patriarch Kirill recalled that the Russian Church announced a fund-raising drive for those who were most affected by the economic crisis in fraternal Greece and gave a high appraisal to the efforts taken by the Church of Greece to help those in need. ‘You are feeding the hungry and support those who have lost their homes and all this happens at a time when the Orthodox Church of Greece herself is in straitened financial circumstances. I have called our faithful to share a part of the burden that oppresses your Church today; a fund-raising campaign has been held to support your social work to help victims of the crisis. We have raised 17 million roubles. We will transfer these funds to you and will continue supporting your social programs as much as we can’, he said.

His Holiness Kirill also spoke about the importance to joint efforts in the area of pilgrimage as more and more Russians and people from other countries under the canonical jurisdiction of the Russian Church, including Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, come to Greece and her holy places today and an increasing number of Greeks come to Russia to venerate the shrines of the Russian Church.

His Beatitude Ieronymos thanked Patriarch Kirill for the warm welcome and fraternal hospitality, making a special mention of the deep impression he received from the celebrations held on the eve of the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture including the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Assumption, procession with the cross and thanksgiving in Red Square in the presence of thousands of people and from his meeting with the leaders of the country as well as from the festive concert given at the State Kremlin Palace.

‘Your country has experienced many troubles in her history. The same can be said about us. You have told us how your people endured the hardships of the 90s. Today, it seems to be our turn. I would like to note that we keep presence of mind and hold our own for we are strengthened by our Orthodox faith and trust in God. Thanks to this, we can survive the crisis’, he said.

His Beatitude Ieronymos also noted that spiritual kinship and mutual understanding was a characteristic feature of relations between the Russian and Greek nations. ‘Respect and love for your people was manifested in the fact that many representatives of our country, both clergy and ordinary people’ used to come to Russia to serve her’, he said, adding that the memory of the Russians’ assistance to the Greeks in their struggle for freedom is alive to this day.

The primate of the Church of Greece, in solidarity with Patriarch Kirill, expressed the conviction that the words of St. Paul ‘If one part suffers, every part suffers with it’ are especially relevant today for the Orthodox world. ‘We are very much moved by the news that a fund-raising campaign has been announced in Russia for the suffering brothers in Greece. We will report it to the next session of the Greek Church’s Synod and to all the Greeks’, he said.

In the course of the talk, a broad range of issues was discussed concerning further development of bilateral church relations in various areas including social service, pilgrimage, the brining of shrines for veneration, theological education, dialogue on church-society and church-state relations and information work, as well as topical issues of pan-Orthodox cooperation.

In the conclusion of the meeting, Patriarch Kirill presented the members of the Greek delegation with decorations of the Russian Orthodox Church. His Beatitude Ieronymos was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles.

Patriarch Kirill also presented Archbishop Ieronymos with a bishop’s crozier as a token of the meeting.

DECR Communication Service

Share:
Telephone conversation held between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Primate of the Malankara Church of India

01.11.2024

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the VIII World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad

30.10.2024

Order of Right-Believing Prince Daniel of Moscow presented to Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk by Patriarch Kirill

24.10.2024

Primate of the Russian Church celebrates Divine Liturgy in the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius Lavra on the commemoration day of St. Sergius of Radonezh

09.10.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers and Akathistos hymn to St. Sergius in the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

07.10.2024

Message from the Primate of the Russian Church to His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia in connection with blasphemous act on the ruins of ancient Ulpiana

14.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates on the feast of the 300th anniversary of the transfer of relics of St.Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg

12.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-night Vigil at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of Transfiguration

18.08.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' met with the Ambassador of India to Russia

30.07.2024

Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa III: Ukrainian government’s support for schism and persecution of the major canonical Church is a religious pogrom against the faithful Orthodox Christians of that country

24.07.2024

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church consecrates the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Tver.

21.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Liturgy at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius on the commemoration day of the saint

18.07.2024

The Primate of the Russian Church celebrates All-night Vigil at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

17.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius and reads akathist to the saint

17.07.2024

Patriarchal condolences on the death of Boris A. Nelyubov

14.07.2024

Telephone conversation held between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Primate of the Malankara Church of India

01.11.2024

DECR Chairman has begun his visit to India

31.10.2024

Work of the Commission for Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is declared successful

24.10.2024

Synod acknowledges importance of bilateral projects carried out in collaboration with Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

24.10.2024

Order of Right-Believing Prince Daniel of Moscow presented to Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk by Patriarch Kirill

24.10.2024

DECR Chairman heads celebrations for the fifteenth anniversary of the consecration of the Dormition Church at the Russian embassy in Beijing.

19.10.2024

Saint Petersburg Theological Academy hosts conference on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) entitled ‘The Person of Metropolitan Nikodim in the History of the Church’.

16.10.2024

DECR Chairman meets with President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference

15.10.2024

Participants of the Divine Service at the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Presnya congratulated the DECR Chairman on his 40th birthday.

12.10.2024

Russian diplomat given Patriarchal award.

10.10.2024

DECR Chairman delivered a lecture to students of the Russian Orthodox University

09.10.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers and Akathistos hymn to St. Sergius in the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

07.10.2024

DECR Chairman takes part in festivities for the beginning of the academic year at the Saints Cyril and Methodius Postgraduate Institute.

03.10.2024

DECR chairman attends reception given by Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation

22.09.2024

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with delegation of Orthodox Church in America

16.09.2024

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Page is available in the following languages
Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب