Metropolitan Hilarion: I owe the Church everything in my life

Metropolitan Hilarion, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church
Relations, a winner of the 2020 State Prize for outstanding achievements in literature and art, says that
he owns the Church all his achievements.

“I owe the Church everything in my life. I chose church ministry when I was fifteen, and have been
going along this way for forty years. The Church is my everyday beacon of inspiration without which
neither serving God nor creative work is possible,” told Metropolitan Hilarion to a TASS News Agency
correspondent on June 9.

Metropolitan Hilarion noted he was happy to have an opportunity to tell his contemporaries about God
in plain language and added: “I am doing this by any and all means – preaching from the ambo, books,
documentaries, work on television and the Internet, and music.”

Metropolitan Hilarion said he was happy to be in demand. “It is a great privilege to do what is
interesting for you and enheartens you. This is the main thing I would like to say today,” he
underscored.

Metropolitan Hilarion is the author of over one thousand historical, philosophical and theological
publications, as well as translation of the church literature from the Greek and Syrian languages, and
also the author of many musical compositions for choir and symphony orchestra. Metropolitan Hilarion
is a laureate of dozens church and secular awards.

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The State Prize is awarded scientists and workers of culture as the highest acknowledgment of their
merits for the state and society and is the major Russian prize established in 1992 as the successor for
the RSFSR state prize. The award consists in an honorarium amounting to ten million roubles since
2020, certificate, honourary badge and coat badge.

The State prize is presented by the Russian President Vladimir Putin in a ceremony held in the Kremlin
on Russia Day celebrated on June 12. Last year the awarding ceremony was deferred to June 24, and
this year it will take place on June 12 in accordance with tradition.

TASS/DECR Communication Service

Print publication

Metropolitan Hilarion: I owe the Church everything in my life

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons