Metropolitan Hilarion: Orthodox faithful see attacks against the Patriarch as attacks against themselves and the Church

During the talk-show ‘The Church and the World’ aired on the Russia 24 TV network on April 21, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations, spoke in particular about the prayer vigil in defence of faith, profaned shrines, the Church and her good name to be held on April 22 before the Church of Christ the Saviour and in cathedrals in other Russian cities.

‘Recently we have encountered a massive information campaign triggered by the notorious appearance of certain persons in the Church of Christ the Saviour. After that, some other topics began to be promoted’, he said. In his opinion, the chain of these events appears to be a contract.

At the same time, he noted, the last days vividly showed that people love the Church and trust it. Thus, in Moscow alone, over a million people came for Easter service.

What can be the Church’s response to the campaign launched against it? Answering this question, Metropolitan Hilarion said, ‘We will not deliver a counterblow, nor will we try to justify ourselves on every point. No, we will come to church. In various cities, people will come to cathedrals, and all together we will pray to the Lord that our faith and our Church may be strengthened. For each of us, these attacks are painful, the more so that they concern His Holiness the Patriarch who is Primate of our Church, whom we have elected. For this reason, we see attacks against him as attacks against ourselves and the Church’.

His Eminence Hilarion said the prayer vigil will be held ‘for us to rally even closer, to be confident and for our faithful not to be shaken’.

DECR Communication Service

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Metropolitan Hilarion: Orthodox faithful see attacks against the Patriarch as attacks against themselves and the Church

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons