31 October 2018 conference “a Monk of Cyprus and Russia: the spiritual and cultural connection” began its work in the monastery of Kykkos icon of the Mother of God in Cyprus, reports the Synodal Department for monasteries and monasticism.
The conference is organized by the Synodal Department for monasteries and monasticism of the Russian Orthodox Church, the monastery of Kykkos icon of the Mother of God, the Ministry of culture of the Russian Federation and the Fund of Saint Basil the Great.
To participate in the conference arrived bishops, abbots and abbess of monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as accompanying persons in Holy orders, monks, theologians, chorus, organizers and translators – a total of 56 people.
Among the arrivals of the bishops present: Metropolitan Arseny of Svyatogorsk, vicar of the Donetsk diocese, member of the Collegium of the Synodal Department for monasteries and monasticism, Abbot of the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra, the head of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church; Paramon Bishop of Bronnitsy, vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, administrator of the Northern and North-Western vicariates of Moscow, Abbot of the Donskoy Stavropegial monastery; Bishop of Dmitrov Theophylact, vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, administrator of South-Western Vicariate of Moscow, the Governor of Andrew’s Stavropegial monastery; Bishop Dionysius of Tuapse, vicar of the Yekaterinodar diocese.
The participants of the conference included representatives of the Synodal Department for monasteries and monasticism of the Russian Orthodox Church: Deputy Chairman of the Department, superior conception stauropegic women’s convent abbess Juliana (Kaleda); press-Secretary of Department, the rector of the Moscow metochion of the Vvedensky monastery of Optina Archimandrite Melchizedek (Artyukhin); the members of the Board of Department: the Abbot of St. Daniel stavropegic monastery Archimandrite Alexy (Polikarpov), Abbot of the Voskresensky new-Jerusalem Stavropegial male monastery Archimandrite Feofilakt (Bezukladnikov), Abbot of the vysoko-Petrovsky stauropegial monastery Abbot Peter (Eremeev), the abbess Nativity of Theotokos Stavropegial convent Quiz (Perminova), mother superior of the stavropegic convent of the Marfo-Mariinsky convent of mercy abbess Elisabeth (Pozdnyakova), mother superior of the exaltation of the Holy cross of Jerusalem Stavropegial convent Catherine (Chainikova), prioress of the Spaso-Euphrosyne Stavropigialny women’s monastery of Polotsk (Belarus) abbess Eudoxia (Levchuk), mother superior of Svyato-Vvedensky Tolga convent hegumeness Varvara (Tretiak), abbess of St. Alexander Nevsky Novo-Tikhvin female monastery of Ekaterinburg abbess Domnica (Korobeinikova).
The delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church at the international airport of the Republic of Cyprus “Larnaca” met Metropolitan Tomaseski and Krynicki Isaiah.
On the first day of stay in Larnaca monks visited the temple of the Holy righteous Lazarus and the monastery of saints Thecla.
In the Church in honor of the righteous Lazarus the four honorary delegation was met by the Archpriest Macarius, who 58 years bears the obedience of the Abbot of this temple.
Venerating the relics of the righteous Lazarus, guests descended into the crypt of the Church where the tomb of this Saint.
Then the participants visited the monastery of saints Thecla, where they were met by the abbess of the convent hegumeness Constantia. Mother abbess noticed that for the first time in his monastery they take such a big delegation of monastics and she is very excited about this event. Bowing to the shrines of the monastery, the guests went to the hotel in Nicosia to relax and prepare for the upcoming conference.
November 1, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted in the Archdiocese of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus his Beatitude Archbishop of New Justiniana and all Cyprus Chrysostomos II.
His Beatitude taught his archpastoral blessing to igumenia abbots and monasteries at the beginning of the conference. In his welcoming speech addressed to the participants of the event, Archbishop Chrysostomos called monasticism the spiritual backbone of the Church. “Monasticism is the Foundation of every local Church. In my experience I have found that svyashennoe more successful in their mission because they realized themselves, weaknesses and passions of human nature in General, and can lead others to a healthy and useful way for the Church” – said the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus.
His Eminence recalled that Orthodox monasticism has been preserved on the island of Cyprus, even when the state power was seized far from the Christian faith, people. “Each Local Church must show special concern for monasticism, as it was through monasticism can be maintained at a high level the spiritual life of the whole Church,” said Archbishop Chrysostomos and wished the participants of the conference to bring spiritual benefit to the monasticism of the Russian and Cypriot Orthodox Churches.
Metropolitan Arseny of Svyatogorsk gave the participants the blessing of his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill, as well as the blessing of the Archbishop of Sergiev Posad of Feognost, Chairman of the Synodal Department for monasteries and monasticism.
Metropolitan Arseny thanked the Abbot of the stavropegic monastery of Kykkos, Metropolitan of Kykkos and Tellimisega Nicephorus and Metropolitan Tamasauskas and Briniskigo Isaiah for the hospitality and the love for the monastic life. “We with great reverence have entered the land of Cyprus, watered by the blood of martyrs, tears of the Confessors, then workers. The air here contains a prayer the breath of the Mother of God, Holy and righteous Lazarus, the friend of God, the Holy apostles and of Apostolic men and many generations of bishops, monastics and pious Christians, who in different historical periods preserved in the canonical purity of Orthodoxy… Now the external forces are trying to influence the relations of the Churches, said Metropolitan Arseny, but we believe that the action of the Holy spirit Orthodox Church both in the past and now will help us overcome a bad mood toward the world Church. We ask for prayers for his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill and special prayers for the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church his Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine Onuphrius, who defends the purity of canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine. We believe that through joint prayers and empathy to all the Orthodox, the Lord will give strength and bless the “people” of the world. But here are the key words “my people”. We came to hear about the experiences of Cypriot monasticism, as being for God as its”.
Vladyka Arseny donated to Archbishop Chrysostomos Vladimir icon of the Mother of God, staff, and issued a Synodal Department for monasteries and monasticism the book “Word to the monks. Sermon of his Holiness Patriarch Kirill in monasteries” in the Greek language.
In turn, his Beatitude Chrysostomos presented gifts to the monastic participants of the forum.
Then in the courtyard of the monastery of Kykkos, the opening of the International conference on “Monasticism of the Russian and Cypriot Orthodox Churches: spiritual and cultural ties”, which will be held from 1 to 3 November 2018.