Home page News
Address delivered by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill…

Address delivered by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at the Christ the Saviour Cathedral on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his Patriarchal enthronement

On 1 February 2019, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, together with the Primates and representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches and an assembly of archpastors and clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. After the Liturgy the Primate of the Russian Church delivered the following address.

 

Your Holinesses and Beatitudes,

Your Eminences and Graces,

Dear fathers, brothers and sisters:

 

Today’s solemnities, crowned by the conciliar celebration of the Divine Liturgy, are a visible testimony to the grace of God, much often and in many ways manifested to the Holy Church and her humble servants and faithful children. As I stand upon the ambo surrounded by my brothers the fellow Primates and representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches and as I look upon you all who have gathered here together and cast my mind back over the past decade of Patriarch ministry, I want to exclaim like the divinely-inspired prophet and psalmist David: “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth… O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together” (Ps 34:1, 3).

Today we prayed together for “the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the holy Churches of God, and for the union of all,” today we together gave thanks to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit who is glorified in the Trinity “for all things of which we know and of which we know not, whether manifest or unseen,” today we together participated in the Mystery of the Eucharist – the common feast of love.

On the day of my election to the Patriarchal Throne of Moscow, when beneath the vaults of this magnificent church the will of God was accomplished through the acts of the Sacred Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church and I was behoved to accept the lot which had befallen me, it was with spiritual trembling that I became aware and clearly sensed that the cross lays at the heart of Patriarchal ministry.

Now, as I stand upon the same sacred place, I can bear witness before God and you that great is the weight of this cross, and if there had not been help from above and if it were not for the prayers of the fulness of the Church, then no human strength would suffice to carry it.

Throughout these years I have unfailingly felt the power of the prayers of the bishops, clergy, monastics and lay people; I have felt and realized that it is these prayers that have sustained my feeble strength and helped me to carry out my ministry with a complete awareness of my responsibility before God and people for all that happens in the life of the Church and in the spiritual and moral life of our contemporaries.

I would like to express my special thanks to the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, to those who are present here today and to those who for whatever reason could not come to Moscow. It is a great honour and joy for me to labour with the renowned First Hierarchs, to strengthen Orthodox unity, to safeguard God’s Church from false teachers and division, to come to the defense of persecuted Christians, to “sing unto the Lord, bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day” (Ps 96:2).

Praise be to God for the past decade of the life of the Russian Church, for the ministry and labours we have carried out together, for fair share of contribution of each person – from the Patriarch to the lay persons – into the common cause of bearing witness to Christ Crucified and Risen before those who are near and those who are afar.

All that happens within the Russian Orthodox Church undoubtedly has an educational, missionary and social significance. And indeed, much is being accomplished for the first time in the thousand-year history of Christianity in Russia. However, the Church’s mission has always been and will be unchanged: to save, enlighten and sanctify every person who comes into the world (cf. Jn 1:9).

A great field of activity lies before us: together we are called to vindicate the solid foundation of the canonical norms of church order, to strengthen Orthodox unity, to take advantage of all opportunities of common creative labours for the glory of God, for the good of the Holy Church and for the benefit of our contemporaries, many of whom have not yet come to “know the truth” (Jn 8:32) and still continue to err in the darkness of ignorance, to worship false gods and be tempted by illusory values. It is to these people that we must direct our Christian preaching, bring to them the Divine word of love, mercy, forgiveness and peace, show an example of a different life – a life transformed by the ideals of the Gospel.

I hope that we will continue to ardently pray together and diligently labour to “do what we ought to have done” (Lk 17:10) and bring forth fruit a hundredfold. And may God Almighty help us in this.

In placing my firm hope in the mercy of the Creator and the intercession of the Queen of Heaven, I will henceforth, should the chief Shepherd permit it, with humility and patience carry the cross of Patriarchal ministry which has been placed upon me. God alone knows how difficult this labour is, what strength, exertion of mind and willpower are demanded by this ministry, how aches the heart of the Patriarch who takes upon himself responsibility for the Church, “which the Lord has purchased through his precious blood.” Yet at the same time I would like to assure you that for me, as for the apostle and evangelist John, there is “no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 Jn 1:4).

Therefore, I exhort you all with the words of the apostle: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity” (1 Cor 16:13-14).

 

The pledge of our unshakeable hope in bringing forth the fruit of our joint endeavours is the true promise of the Saviour to abide in the Church “even unto the end of the world” (Mt 28:20.)

“The name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess1:12). Amen.

Share:
Congratulations of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill to the President of Turkey on his 70th birthday

26.02.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill's condolences in connection with the murder of the monks of the Ziquala Abo Monastery in Ethiopia

24.02.2024

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the XII Christmas Parliamentary Meetings at the Federation Council of the Russian Federation

23.01.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: Patriarch of Constantinople is not a free man

07.01.2024

Christmas Message from Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Rus’

06.01.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill had phone conversation with Metropolitan Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol

02.01.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill expresses condolences over deadly earthquake in northwest China

19.12.2023

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill congratulates Mr Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on his re-election as President of Egypt

19.12.2023

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill welcomes the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the decoration of the Church of St Sava in Belgrade

19.12.2023

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presides over jubilee meeting of Inter-Religious Council of Russia

07.12.2023

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at jubilee meeting of Inter-Religious Council of Russia

07.12.2023

Patriarchal greetings on the occasion of 60th anniversary of the Diocese of Vienna and Austria

26.11.2023

Primate of Russian Church presents historic miracle-working Kazan Icon of the Mother of God to the faithful and celebrates Liturgy in the Kremlin Dormition Cathedral

04.11.2023

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ to the participants of the World Conference of Compatriots Living Abroad

01.11.2023

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill met with the Primate of the Assyrian Church of the East

31.10.2023

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