Reception at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour takes place on the occasion of the Day of Slavonic Literature and Culture and the Nameday of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

A reception on the occasion of the forthcoming Day of Slavonic Literature and Culture and the Nameday of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was held at the refectory chambers of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

Greeting His Holiness were Ms Valentina Matvienko, Chair of the Federation Council; Mr. Sergei Ivanov, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office; Mr. Sergei Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow; Mr. Andrei Vorobiev, governor of the Moscow Region; other representatives of state authorities, the State Duma deputies and the faction leaders, ambassadors of some CIS and foreign countries, representatives of public organizations, workers of science, culture and arts; sportsmen, benefactors, the mass media leaders and secular journalists who cover the Patriarch’s activities.

Members of the Holy Synod, bishops and priests of the Russian Orthodox Church, representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church, other Christian confessions, and the Muslim and Jewish communities and associations.

Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna greeted His Holiness with his Nameday on behalf of the whole Russian Orthodox Church.

Mr. Alexander Beglov, Presidential Envoy in the Central Federal District, addressed his greetings to His Holiness and to all those present.

His Holiness thanked all who greeted him, for prayers and words of support, saying in particular: ‘The Church-state and Church-society relations are of a great importance for the life of the country. The Church had undergone different historical stages, and her relations with the state had been different, but during recent decades we saw an amazing historical phenomenon of a new reality of the new country arising as if from beneath the rubble as Alexander Solzhenitsyn once put it. The dramatic historical development of Russia has been reflected in our spirituality and culture. Those able to do an elementary analysis could make important conclusions, and I have a feeling that many people of different age and social strata have made them as I see them participating in the rebirth of spiritual life.

‘I can only thank God for all that is happening. When the outside observers ask me about my vision of the future of Russia, our people and our Church, I answer with humility and hope for God’s will: “The best is yet to come.” As the Patriarch I am happy to see the changes that are taking place nowadays.

‘May the Lord keep our Fatherland, our Church and our people who live in the friendly multiethnic and multireligious country and work for the sake of a better future. Many good years to our Fatherland and our Church!’

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Reception at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour takes place on the occasion of the Day of Slavonic Literature and Culture and the Nameday of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons