On the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, the Primate of the Russian Church celebrated the Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

DECR Communication service, 07.01.2025

On the night of January 7, 2025, the feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ celebrated a series of Christmas services at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. These included the Great Compline, Matins, and the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, as reported by the Patriarchal Press Service.

The Patriarchal Christmas service was broadcast live on the television channels "Channel One," "Russia 1," and "Spas," as well as on the official portal of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarchia.ru. The broadcast was accompanied by commentary from N.I. Derzhavin, Deputy Head of the Patriarchal Press Service. On the "Spas" channel and the Patriarchia.ru portal, the broadcast included sign language interpretation.

As is tradition, before the start of the service, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed television viewers with a Christmas greeting broadcast live.

During the Christmas night service, His Holiness was concelebrated by Metropolitan Gregory of Voskresensk, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate and First Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’ for Moscow; Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archbishop Savva of Zelenograd, Deputy Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, Personal Secretary to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill; Protopriest Mikhail Ryazantsev, Sacristan of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior; Protopriest Georgy Martynov, a cleric of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior; and other clergy of Moscow.

Present in the cathedral were State Secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus D.F. Mezentsev; State Duma Deputy and cosmonaut E.O. Serova; Chairman of the Moscow City Duma A.V. Shaposhnikov; Head of the Department for National Policy and Interregional Relations of Moscow V.I. Suchkov; First Deputy General Director of Russian Railways V.V. Mikhailov; Vice President of the Russian Union of Chemists A.G. Guryev; Head of the Odintsovo City District of the Moscow Region A.R. Ivanov; Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the All-Russian Public Movement "Orthodox Russia" M.M. Ivanov; and Acting General Director of the Artistic and Production Enterprise "Sofrino" V.A. Levin.

The service was attended by nuns from women's convents in Moscow and numerous faithful.

Also present were representatives of the Roman Catholic Church: Monsignor Mislav Hodžić, Acting Chargé d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Moscow (acting head of the Vatican Embassy); Archbishop Gevorg Noradunkyan, the Ordinary for Armenian Catholics in Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and Eastern Europe; and Protoarchimandrite Petros Yesayan, Vicar of the Archbishop of the Armenian Catholic Church in Russia.

A children’s delegation of compatriots from Kyrgyzia was also present at the service. The children are currently in Moscow as part of a cultural exchange program aimed at strengthening international ties between the Russian Federation and the Kyrgyz Republic. The visit was organized with the support of the "St. Boniface the Martyr" Charitable Foundation.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the Patriarchal Choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior under the direction of I.B. Tolkachev.

During the Fervent Litany, special petitions were offered, and the Primate of the Russian Church read a prayer for Holy Rus’.

The Christmas message of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ to the archpastors, pastors, deacons, monastics, and all faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church was read aloud by Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev.

Before the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin arrived at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, having celebrated Christmas at the Church of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill.

At the request of the head of state, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill blessed pectoral crosses and icons for military personnel participating in the special military operation. President Putin stated that he would personally deliver them to the commanders of the military groups performing critical tasks in the operation zone.

At the end of the Liturgy, the Exaltation of the Nativity of Christ was performed.

In conclusion, His Holiness addressed the faithful with a Primatial word.