Department for External Church Relations
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Primate of Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Liturgy at the Cathedral of Dormition in the Moscow Kremlin
On 2 May 2016, Monday of the Bright Week, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Dormition in the Moscow Kremlin.
Concelebrating with His Holiness was an assembly of hierarchs and clergymen of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Before the Holy Communion Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk read out the Paschal Message of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
After the Liturgy His Holiness led the Paschal procession of the cross around the Cathedral. Standing at the stairs of the Dormition Cathedral, Patriarch Kirill addressed the worshippers with a homily, saying in particular:
“Your Eminences and Your Graces, dear brothers and sisters, all who have come here, to the Ivanovskaya Square, to the ancient Cathedral of the Dormition, the main cathedral of our Church, today, on the second day of the Paschal celebrations,
“I cordially greet you with the salvific Feast of Pascha of Christ and wish you firmness in faith and the ability to embrace God in your mind and in your heart in order to build up your private, family and social life in accordance with His great commandments and His invincible moral law.”
His Holiness also greeted a group of Orthodox pilgrims from China, saying:
“We have among us today a special group of people. Here among us are Chinese Orthodox Christians, descendants of the Albazinians, Russian Cossacks who in the 17th century defended the Albazin Fort on the Amur River and were taken captive and brought to Peking. Yet, at that time no one would forbid the Albazinians to practice their Orthodox faith. Much time passed, and they became the Chinese people. However, these Chinese people still regard themselves as descendants of those Russian Orthodox Albazinians.
“Having undergone the hard time of the Cultural Revolution when all religions in China were suppressed, they managed to preserve their faith. They were forbidden to attend churches, and many of their priests ended up in exile or in prison. Yet, the Chinese Orthodox Christians survived, being a remarkable example of viability of Orthodoxy and showing that Orthodoxy is not just a religion of the Russian people, but the faith of Christ, which can exist in any culture and bear great fruit.
“I bow in respect before you, my dear Chinese brothers and sisters. You have preserved the Orthodox faith. I am grateful to the leaders of China who are working today to create a favourable situation for the life of Orthodox Christians. You may come to Russia now and freely identify yourselves with Orthodoxy, and it is a great success and a big step forward.
“I believe that the Chinese Orthodox Church will revive and that through Orthodoxy the people of China will get to know Russia, their northern neighbor, much better. I believe that this religious factor will make its contribution to the deepening of friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation between Russia and China.”
Patriarchal Press Service
DECR Communication Service
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