Relics of Ss Cyprian and Justina return to Cyprus from Moscow

On 27 August 2005, the relics of Ss Cyprian and Justina left the Moscow stavropegic convent of the Conception of St.Anna for Cyprus after a short prayer service, taking part in which was His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia.

His Holiness was greeted at the holy gates by mother superior hegumeness Yuliania. Accompanied by the clergy and sisters of the convent His Holiness proceeded to the main church of the convent, where the shrine with the holy relics stayed.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy venerated the relics of Ss Cyprian and Justina and greeted a delegation of the Morphou metropolia of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus headed by Metropolitan Neophyte of Morphou. His Holiness the Patriarch greeted representatives of the fraternal Orthodox Church of Cyprus on behalf of all the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church for an opportunity to pray at the shrine with the relics of the holy martyrs Cyprian and Justina. ‘After difficult decades in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church we are happy to become involved in veneration of the shrines that are holy for all Christians, to receive the blessing, prayers and help of Universal Orthodoxy in our spiritual revival’.

Metropolitan Neophyte of Morphou in his word in response addressed the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; ‘It is with an awe that I stand in front of you, Your Holiness, who are reviving the Russian Orthodox Church. Your invitation and your prayers persuaded us in the necessity to bring the relics of the holy martyrs to Russia. It is for the first time in 700 years that they left our Church. We wish the holy martyr Cyprian who has a special gift of exorcising to bless the Russian people, exorcise demons from our lives and to give us the Holy Spirit who unites us at every Divine Liturgy. Thank you for your invitation.

On the days during which the holy relics stayed in Russia were disciples of the piety of the people of God for whom you take spiritual care. You are renewing their faith and strength so that they can bear the spirit of the revival after the theomachist period. The disorders and trial that the Russian Orthodox Church has experienced and survived have enriched us with many martyrs and confessors who give us, Orthodox Greeks and Cypriots, an example of endurance in the Lord, asceticism and martyrs’ deeds. Such people as your predecessor His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon, Metropolitan Veniamin of Petrograd and all new Russian martyrs and confessors inspire us and our flock as we experience difficulties in the life of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus’.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy had a talk with Metropolitan Neophyte, taking part in which was Bishop Mark of Yegorievsk. His Holiness noted that since Turkey captured a part of Cyprus the Russian Orthodox has symphasized with the fraternal Orthodox Church of Cyprus and its believers and shared their sorrows. The Morphou metropolia, a half of which was captured, greatly suffered from political disorders on Cyprus. He underscored that many Russian Orthodox people who come to Cyprus as pilgrims and who live there need pastoral care and expressed his hope for the opening of the representation of the Russian Orthodox Church on Cyprus.

Metropolitan Neophyte said that a part of his metropolia is located on the captured territories and emphasized that as metropolitan of the diocese with many destroyed churches, he understands better than anyone else the experience of the Russian Orthodox Church, which had undergone the period of repressions.

Metropolitan Neophyte presented His Holiness the Patriarch with an icon of Ss Cyprian and Justina on a round board and a book on the history of the Church of Cyprus.

His Holiness the Patriarch presented Metropolitan Neophyte with a panagia made to commemorate the 15^th jubilee of the patriarchal ministry.

A short prayer service was celebrated in front of the holy relics, after which the shrine was taken round the church in a solemn procession. His Holiness blessed the worshippers with the shrine and handed it over to the head of the delegation of the Church of Cyprus. The shrine was taken out through the holy gates, and the delegation left for the airport.

Bishop Mark of Yegorievsk was among those seeing the delegation off at the airport.