The primates of Alexandrian and Russian Orthodox Churches celebrate Liturgy at the Cathedral square of the Moscow Kremlin

    

July 28, 2018, the day of commemoration of the Holy equal to the apostles great Prince Vladimir, in all the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church held celebrations on the occasion of the 1030-th anniversary of the baptism of Rus, reports patriarhiei.

The Council of bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, held on 24-29 June 2008 in Moscow, in memory of the Baptism of Russia decided on the day of the Holy Prince Vladimir, 15/28 July “worship under the Charter of the great feast, giving due honour to the Baptist of Russia”. In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus the day of St. Prince Vladimir was included in a number of public observances celebrated by public festivities.

At the meeting of may 14, 2018, the Holy Synod adopted a decision (journal № 16) to be held in the metropolises and dioceses of holidays and commemorative events — conferences, concerts and exhibitions dedicated to 1030 anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.

For participation in celebrations on the occasion of the 1030-th anniversary of the baptism of Russia arrived in Moscow, his Beatitude Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa, Theodoros II and delegations of the local Orthodox Churches.

Celebrations in the Russian capital began with the divine Liturgy at the Cathedral square of the Kremlin, which was committed by his Beatitude Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill.

Worship at the Cathedral square was performed for the first time. The throne was installed on the platform at the South porch of the Patriarchal Cathedral of the assumption.

The service was attended by the heads and members of delegations of local Orthodox Churches:

  • from the Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the representative of the Patriarch of Alexandria to the Moscow Patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Athanasios of kyrenaika:, Metropolitan of Johannesburg and Pretoria Damaskin, General Secretary of the Holy Synod Archimandrite Daniel (Biases);
  • from the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem is the representative of the Patriarch of Jerusalem to the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Archimandrite Stephan (Dispirakis);
  • from the Georgian Orthodox Church — Bishop Nikortsminda Vakhtang;
  • from the Serbian Orthodox Church — Bishop Metropolitan Irenaeus, Bishop of Remezijanski Stefan;
  • from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church — Metropolitan lovchanski Gabriel, General Secretary of the Holy Synod Bishop Melnitsky Gerasim, the representative of the Bulgarian Patriarch to the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Archimandrite Theoktistos (Dimitrov);
  • Cypriot Orthodox Church — Metropolitan Patski George, Archimandrite Stylianou (Stereo);
  • from the Albanian Orthodox Church — Metropolitan Apollonii and Pariiskii Nicholas;
  • from the Polish Orthodox Church, Archbishop of wrocław and Szczecin George, hieromonk Spyridon (Cusack);
  • from the Orthodox Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia, — the representative of the Orthodox Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia to the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky), assistant representative hieromonk Alexander (dumpling).

    

The primates of Alexandrian and Russian Churches also served: Metropolitan Krutitskii and Kolomna Yuvenaly, the Patriarchal vicar of the Moscow diocese; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for external Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Valentin (Mischuk); Metropolitan Arseny of Istra, the first vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia in Moscow; the Archbishop of Sergiev Posad Feognost, Abbot of Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, Chairman of the Synodal Department for monasteries and monastics; Archbishop Ambrose verey, rector of Moscow ecclesiastical Academy; Archbishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archbishop of Vienna and Budapest Anthony, the head of the Moscow Patriarchate office for institutions abroad; Archbishop Matthew, Bishop Gury (Shalimov); Bishop Tikhon; Bishop of Dmitrov Theophylact, vicar of Andrew’s stavropegic monastery; Bishop Roman of Serpukhov; Bishop Ieronim (Chernyshov); Bishop of Orekhovo-Zuevo Panteleimon, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church charity and social Ministry; Bishop Nicholas Balashikha; Bishop Konstantin of Zaraisk,; the Bishop of Mozhaysk Leonid, Abbot of the stavropegic monastery Vvedensky Optina; Paramon Bishop of Bronnitsy, vicar of the Donskoy stavropegic monastery; Bishop Domodedovskaya John, Abbot of the Novospassky stavropegic monastery; Bishop lukhovitskiy Peter; Protopresbyter Volodymyr Diakov, Secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia for Moscow; Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev, sacristan of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow; Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Deputy Chairman of the DECR MP; Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, the Chairman of the education Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church; Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeyev), rector of the metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia (Bulgaria); archpriests and clergy of the Moscow city and regional dioceses.

Praying at the Liturgy were the representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Metropolitan Nifon filippopolsky.

The service was attended by the Minister of culture of the Russian Federation V. R. Medinsky, the Plenipotentiary representative of RF President in Central Federal district Igor Shchegolev, the mayor of Moscow S. S. Sobyanin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on development of civil society, public and religious associations, S. A. Gavrilov, head of Department of regional security and combating corruption Moscow Vladimir Chernikov, head of Department of national policy and interregional relations of Moscow V. I. Knots.

Among those gathered at the Cathedral square was the Deputy Chairman of the Synodal Department for monasteries and monasticism, abbess of the convent stavropegic monastery abbess Juliana (Kaleda), abbess of convents and sisters, parishioners of Moscow churches.

The service was broadcast live on TV channels “Russia-24”, “Saved” and “Union”.

On the Cathedral square of the Kremlin was installed the icon and the Shrine with the relics of the Holy equal to the apostles great Prince Vladimir, brought from the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

Sang liturgical hymns choir of the Moscow diocese under the control of Russia’s honoured artist A. Puzakov.

The Liturgy was filled with the festive antiphons of the Day of the baptism of Russia, written in 1988, the 1000th anniversary of this historic event.

At the little entrance, sounded the hymns of the Holy Trinity, All saints resplendent in the Russian land, of the baptism of Russia, Holy equal to the apostles great Prince Vladimir.

    

On a purely Ektenia was lifted up special prayers composed to 1030 anniversary of the baptism of Russia:

“Blagodaram with fear and trembling, like a Rabbi nepotrebno, Your blagoustroyu, our Saviour and our Lord, Lord, about Your blagodaria, which was izlel thou on our Land, from the Baptism of her until now, and they bow down, and praise Thee, thou God, we, and tenderly cry: deliver from all misfortune Thy people and always, thou Merciful, and grant in good of our petitions, diligently pray to You, hear and have mercy.

Again we pray Thee, our Savior, through the Holy Prince Vladimir who favored izbrati our family in His inheritance and in the Baptismal font of tarawati the Holy spirit, the hedgehog in our Holy Church from schisms and strife abide, and in the unanimity of faith, her utverdit, and the world, graditi, hear and have mercy.

Again we pray Thee, o Lord Almighty hedgehog in his pity and mercy in on this vine, whose put and protect against all slanders wraia Your right Hand; hedgehog and pradnya summer taravati Your heritage and the world BizMedia, but will not shrink and will not fail Holy Russia, and Yes it is famous Trisagion Thy Name, o Lord, all ye RAM hear and mercifully having strengthened his saints have mercy.”

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said a prayer:

“Almighty and pre-eternal God our father the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ Himself Present to the world the Creator, and all creatures promishlenie and blessing. Others and the master of the Russian Land, the Prince of Vladimir, to the light of the true faith nastaveny, and the whole of our country on the land things Holy Baptism positivy and saints, thou all-radiant stars, the skies of our Church tidy. Look now Your merciful eye on us lowly and unworthy Thy servants in this disease thirtieth summer at the Holy Baptism of Russia, grateful prayer for all who commit good deeds, the former in our Fatherland from the ancient years until now and for Thy cornfield, the Russian Church, bringing Thee, as the fruit of the saving of the sowing of Thy Word, and saints. Vouchsafe UBO and us in their faith, love and unity prebyvat, harmful divisions and schisms preodolevat, but may Your Good Spirit rest upon us.

Probabi Premilitary mercy, o Lord, Your leading Thee and those who have not revealed to You Budy, yeah from the East to the West, all ye peoples edinimi mouth and edinam heart will cry out to You with the voice of joy:

Thank You God, Blagodetel, Rus baptism positivea, forever and ever”.

Then his Holiness Patriarch Kirill prayed for peace in Ukraine.

The funeral litany was a prayer “for the repose of the souls of the departed servants of God, the ever-memorable primates of the Russian Church, the most Holy Patriarchs, bishops, metropolitans, archbishops and bishops of the Orthodox, builders and rulers of Holy Rus’ and all in the power of the former, who had the care of the immaculate faith and with diligence, the Christian faith of the law, ruled the country ours, all of our Land from the ancient years had lived in piety and in the true faith of the deceased forefather, father, mothers, brothers and sisters of ours, all for the Church and Holy Russia lived, and about hedgehog prostatica them every transgression, both voluntary and involuntary”.

Before communion, Archbishop Sergius of Solnechnogorsk read the Message of his Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church to the archpastors, clergy, monastics and laymen in connection with the 1030-th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.

After the Liturgy his Holiness Patriarch Kirill greeted his Beatitude Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria:

“Your Beatitude, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa Theodore! Your eminences and graces! Dear fathers, brothers and sisters!

Today a very special day for all our Orthodox people, whose ancestors were Baptized in the baptismal font of Kiev. 1030 years of history, which was filled with joys and sorrows, victories and defeats, but in spite of the difficult historical path of our people have kept their faith, their national identity, to preserve their culture. And not just preserved, but reinforced repeatedly.

And today Russia, the Russian culture… When you say “Russian”, referring to Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, because this is Holy Russia, our people and the Byzantines in the time of St. Prince Vladimir was called “Russian” — Russian. In this sense we use that word. Therefore, I would like to say that today this is our common culture and our faith are not the only decisive factor in the preservation of our national spiritual identity, but also factor in ensuring the impact of the people that came out of the Kiev Baptismal font, to the whole world.

We rejoice that the divine Liturgy with us was celebrated by his Holiness Patriarch and Pope of Alexandria and all Africa. Alexandria Department — the second in honor among all Patriarchal departments. And we especially welcome You, Your Beatitude, because You speak Russian, understand Russian, like Holy Russia, because he lived in Odessa for many years as the representative of the Patriarch of Alexandria to the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, and in Odessa it is a historical Representation of the Church of Alexandria. And I’m glad that You’re working together with its Moscow counterpart, with many clergy and faithful in the heart of our country, here on Cathedral square in the Kremlin celebrated the divine Liturgy. I wish You a warm welcome.

We know about Your wonderful missionary labors in the enlightenment of the light of Christ’s truth the people of Africa. We know of Your love for our homeland and to the Russian Church, because today with a special feeling prayed about You and the Church of Alexandria that the Lord has given You the grace to make his high Ministry. Once again I sincerely thank You for this historic event — our joint divine Liturgy in the Kremlin, in the square in remembrance day 1030-anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.

The prayers of the Holy equal to the apostles great Prince Vladimir God bless Holy Russia, all the lands and peoples of the associated one of the Kiev font of Baptism, our Fatherland and our Church in peace and unity, prosperity and spiritual power. Congratulations to all of you congratulations!”

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria said in his address::

“Your Holiness, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, beloved Brother Cyril!

Take a view of his congregation, who believe in Christ. The sun is reflected in the domes of these cathedrals and reminds that Russia has always been and will be Holy Rus’, and in front of us shining double-headed eagle symbol of the Byzantine Empire. Great leaders reminds us of the story about Constantine the Great and Grand Prince of Vladimir.

On behalf of all Churches, thank You. We love You and hope for You. Entire Orthodox family is praying for You, Your Holiness, praying for those people who want Russia to be strong, but You would like to Russia was also a Saint.

We thank You, Your Holiness, for the love You have for our ancient Church of Alexandria. Thank Your fellow archpastors, clergy and the people for support. I want You to be happy, Your Holiness, because You work for Christ. You hold your wand in order to feed the Holy Russian Church. We pray for You.

We pray that peace came to the Ukrainian people, because you are one people who came from a single font, where came to Russia Orthodoxy.

I wish God gave You all the best, and first of all — many good years!”

Then his Holiness Patriarch Kirill in recognition of his assistance of the Moscow diocese and in connection with his 60th birthday presented the mayor of Moscow S. S. Sobyanin with the order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow, III degree.

In accepting the award, the mayor said, “Your Holiness! Dear friends! I consider this a great reward recognition of our joint work of Moscow and the Patriarchate on restoration of monuments of history and culture — ancient temples of Moscow, a difficult, long, painstaking work that returns us to historical memory and justice, work on the construction of new churches in Moscow. Your Holiness, thank You very much for what You pay so much attention to Moscow and Muscovites! Congratulations to all the holiday — anniversary of the baptism of Russia, a great event, largely determined the history of our country. Thank you! Happy holidays everyone!”

“For my part, I would also like to thank Mr Sobyanin for your cooperation, for the assistance provided by the city in the restoration of temples and the construction of new temples, — said in turn, his Holiness Patriarch Kirill. — Our mayor is different from all others in that in any city in the world today is not built 200 new churches. In Moscow — under construction! So we meet 1030-anniversary of the baptism of Rus. Prayers of the Holy Prince Vladimir, Yes strengthened the Orthodox faith in our people! May God’s blessing be over hail Moscow!”

    

Then a procession took place through the Borovitskie gates of the Kremlin to the monument to the Holy equal to the apostles great Prince Vladimir.

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