Home page News
Patriarch Kirill consecrates Trinity Cathedral in …

Patriarch Kirill consecrates Trinity Cathedral in Paris

On December 4, 2016, the Feast of the Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God to the Temple, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia consecrated the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris. The cathedral is a part of the Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center compound built on the Siene embankment.

In the newly consecrated church, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church presided over the Divine Liturgy. His Holiness was assisted by Metropolitan Innocent of Vilnius and Lithuania; Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate financial and economic office; Archbishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe, Archbishop Yelisey of Sourozh; Archbishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate administrative secretariat; Bishop Nestor of Chersonese; Bishop Antoniy, head of the Moscow Patriarchate office for institutions abroad; Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations vice-chairman; Archpriest Nicholas Rebinder, rector of the church of the Three Hierarchs in Paris; Hegumen Philip (Riabykh), Moscow Patriarchate representative to the Council of Europe, and clergy of the Diocese of Chersonese.

Among the concelebrants were also representatives of Local Orthodox Churches including Metropolitan Emmanuel of France and Archbishop John of Charioupolis, administrator of the Archdiocese of Orthodox Russian churches in Western Europe (Patriarchate of Constantinople); Metropolitan Ignatius of France, Western and Southern Europe (Patriarchate of Antioch), Metropolitan Joseph of Western and Southern Europe, and Bishop Mark of Niamets (Romanian Orthodox Church).

The liturgical music was performed by a combined choir of churches in Paris conducted by Ms. M. Politova and the choir of the St. Genevieve of Paris Spiritual and Educational Center, conducted by Ms. S. Volkova. The hymns were sung in Church Slavonic and French.

The service was broadcast live by the French KTO and the Russian ‘Soyuz’ channels. The broadcast could also be seen on large screens installed at the church walls for those who could not get in the overcrowded church.

After the Prayer of Fervent Supplication His Holiness Kirill lifted up a prayer for peace in Ukraine.

Present at the service were A. Kolpakov, head of the presidential administrative directorate; Senator Jean-Pierre Cheveneman, French government special representative for developing relations with Russia; Russian Ambassador to France A. Orlov and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

Among the honorary guests were also Ms. S. V. Medvedeva; Ms. Helen Carrere d’Ancausse, permanent secretary of Academie Française, Archbishop Luigi Ventura, apostolic nuncio in France (Roman Catholic Church) and other representatives of Christian confessions.

After the service, His Holiness addressed himself to the worshippers with a primatial homily.

As a gift to the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, His Holiness gave it an Icon of Our Lady of Iveron. He thanked many people who helped to build the cathedral. ‘I would like to thank the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the ex-President of France Nicholas Sarkozy and the present President of this country Mr. François Hollande because it was a positive decision made on the highest level that predetermined an opportunity for carrying out this excellent project. Once again, I would like to thank the city of Paris in your person, Ms. Mayor. I thank all those who took part in this remarkable task, who raised and donated funds, who came to help, who gave their support’, he said.

His Holiness also thanked Bishop Nestor of Chersonese and presented him with a pectoral icon and a cross produced for the celebrations devoted to the millennium of the demise of the Grand Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles.

In recognition of their help to the Diocese of Chersonese and to the construction of the Russian Spiritual and Cultural Center in Paris, His Holiness presented the Russian Orthodox Church awards to a number of people, among them architect Jean-Michel Willmotte and Russian Ambassador A. Orlov.

His Holiness greeted the honorary guests and thanked his concelebrants, stressing that ‘when we celebrate the Divine Liturgy together, we demonstrate our true and intransient unity. This unity overcomes any differences, cultural, national, linguistic. And today we could rejoice in this remarkable image of the unity of the Orthodox Church. Once again I cordially greet you all and may God’s blessing and the Protecting Veil of the Most Blessed Queen of Heaven be spread over the remarkable city of Paris and over France and over all who live here, regardless of their ethnic background or religion’.

In memory of the festive event, Bishop Nestor presented Patriarch Kirill with an icon of St. Genevieve, the holy patroness of Paris.

DECR Communication Service

Share:
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends congratulations to Archbishop Joani of Tirana and All Albania on his election as Primate of Albanian Orthodox Church

16.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends letter to His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch concerning tragic developments in Syria

11.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with delegation of Malankara Church

08.03.2025

Delegation of the Malankara Church attends Patriarchal Liturgy on the commemoration day of Blessed Matrona of Moscow

08.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill speaks on the phone with His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije

25.02.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with the Ambassador of Pakistan to Russia

06.02.2025

Divine Liturgy celebrated at Christ the Saviour Cathedral on the occasion of the sixteenth anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

01.02.2025

Condolences of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the passing of the Primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church

25.01.2025

On the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated Great Vespers at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

07.01.2025

On the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, the Primate of the Russian Church celebrated the Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

07.01.2025

Christmas Message by His Holiness Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Russia

06.01.2025

A Joint Session of the Holy Synod and the Supreme Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Took Place

26.12.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presided over the joint session of the Holy Synod and the Supreme Church Council

26.12.2024

Primate of the Russian Church consecrates Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena in Mitino, Moscow.

22.12.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: Violations of the rights of the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have been noted in reports by international human rights organizations.

20.12.2024

DECR Chairman participates in Divine Service at the Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo

30.03.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrates Divine Liturgy at the Resurrection Church in Seoul

23.03.2025

DECR chairman presents Patriarchal award to Primate of Armenian Apostolic Church

18.03.2025

DECR Chairman meets with Primate of Armenian Apostolic Church

17.03.2025

DECR chairman congratulates Archbishop Joani of Tirana and All Albania on his election as Primate of Albanian Orthodox Church

16.03.2025

Meeting of the Council of the Christian Interconfessional Advisory Committee has been held

28.02.2025

Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk participates in Patriarchal Liturgy in Belgrade

26.02.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill speaks on the phone with His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije

25.02.2025

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije receives Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk

25.02.2025

DECR Chairman tells participants of the meeting at Nizhny Novgorod seminary about external contacts of the Russian Orthodox Church

22.02.2025

Rector of St George Church at Russia’s Embassy in Prague awarded the Order of Holy Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles

20.02.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrates Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Metochion in Bari

16.02.2025

DECR chairman meets with Catholic Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto Giuseppe Satriano

15.02.2025

On the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrates Liturgy at the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari

15.02.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk: "We have embarked on a significant and new endeavor in Africa."

04.02.2025

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