His Holiness Patriarch Kirill completes his visit to China

On 11-15 May 2013, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was on his visit to China.

Accompanying His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was an official delegation which included Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administrative Secretariat; Mr. Vladimir Legoida, chairman of the Synodal Information Department; archpriest Nikolai Balashov, vice-chairman of the DECR; protodeacon Vladimir Nazarkin, assistant to the DECR chairman; Mikhail Kuksov, head of the Patriarch’s Personal Secretariat. Among those accompanying His Holiness on his visit were also archpriest Andrei Milkin, head of the Patriarchal Protocol Service, and deacon Alexander Volkov, head of the Patriarchal Press Service.

On May 10, the first day of his visit, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill met in Beijing with Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, and with Mr. Wang Zuoan, director of the China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs. After the meeting with the President of the People’s Republic of China, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia answered questions of Russian and Chinese mass media reporters.

That same day in the evening, a reception was given on behalf of the Director of the China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs in honour of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

On May 11, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill visited the Celestial Empire’s sights, the Great Wall of China and the former Imperial Palace.

Next day, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and al Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the territory of the Russian Embassy in Beijing and met with the Orthodox faithful.

His Holiness presented the Russian Ambassador to China and a number of Russian diplomats with high church awards.

On May 12, the presentation of the Chinese edition of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill’s book “Freedom and Responsibility” took place in Beijing. That same day, a reception was given of behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the People’s Republic of China.

On May 13, Patriarch Kirill met with religious leaders of China at the headquarters of the China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs.

That same day, His Holiness left Beijing for Harbin. Upon the arrival, he visited St Sophia Cathedral.

On Tuesday of the second week after Pascha, marking Radonitsa, the day of the prayerful remembrance of the dead, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in Harbin. During the Divine Service, special prayers were lifted up for those affected by floods in China and for the repose of the soul of archpastors, pastors, monastics and lay people of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church.

On May 14, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with Mr. Sunem Yunbo, vice-chairman of the People’s Government of the Province of Heilongjiang.

That same day, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church left Harbin for Shanghai.

On May 15, the last day of his visit, His Holiness celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the building of the former Cathedral of the ‘Helper of Sinners’ Icon of the Mother of God in Shanghai. After the Liturgy, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church answered questions of Russian and Chinese mass media reporters.

Later that same day Patriarch Kirill met with Ms Zhong Yanqun, deputy chairperson of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Shanghai. His Holiness completed the program of his visit to China by meeting with religious leaders of Shanghai at the headquarters of the Council of Churches of China.

That same day, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia left Shanghai for Yekaterinburg.