Metropolitan Kirill confers patriarchal awards on members of the organizational committee of the All-Russian Day of Family, love and faithfulness

On November 14, 2008, a solemn ceremony of awarding members of the organizational committee of the All-Russian Day of Family, love and faithfulness took place in the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations. Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad conferred the patriarchal awards.

In his word of greeting he pointed out depopulation as one of today’s most important problems. “Indeed, fewer and fewer children are born in Russia. Economists and politicians are alarmed about this as well as businessmen, who at times cannot set up their industry on this or that territory just because labour resources are scarce there. Such a vast country as Russia must have a large population in order to productively employ the still uninhabited expanses in the Siberia and in the Far East and dynamically develop production, industry and the social sphere”, he stated.

At the same time the metropolitan called everyone’s attention to the spiritual dimension of this problem. “When few children are born in the country and a large number of divorces is registered yearly – these are all signs of spiritual ill-being. “On the other hand, it must be remembered that our fathers and grandfathers had even less money and comfort, but the families were large”, he reminded.

In his opinion, lack of love in the heart often plays an essential role in this choice. “Love is always connected with sacrifice. And lack of love implies absence of sacrifice. Our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to sacrifice himself for the sake of people”, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad noted. “Thus, following his example, a good husband devotes himself to his wife, sacrifices himself – his time, his means and many other things, and a good wife sacrifices herself for her husband – her time, her well-being and sometimes even health, giving all her forces to her family. We are good to each other when we give, and not take. The ability to give is a witness of love”.

Therefore, according to Metropolitan Kirill, the demographic problem, the family problem in Russia is primarily a spiritual and moral problem. The Church, following its path, constantly reminds the people about the necessity to have solid families, take care of the children and speaks up against abortions and divorces, for the moral way of life and the integrity of the family, but the modern world is far from being always ready to listen to the voice of the Church.

“Today the Church needs both civil society and the authorities to set themselves the task to consolidate the family and to recognize the importance of good family relations for the sake of care for the people”, he said stressing the great importance of the Day of family, love and loyalty established in Russia. “A feast is the occasion for thinking, emphasizing the existing problems, and drawing the attention of the mass media, men of art and literature”, the metropolitan thinks.

“I think that the feast has a very bright perspective, pray God that one of the results of this celebration becomes the appearance of as many solid, happy families as possible”, Metropolitan Kirill stated, voicing his opinion that the solution of the demographic problem would be found if people were happy in their families.

He thanked the members of the organizational committee of the All-Russian Day of Family, love and faithfulness, who had participated in the ceremony, and its president S. Medvedeva for the realization of this important project,” I am glad that the laity come up with such wonderful initiatives directed at achieving the same goals and ideals that the Church preaches.”

Moscow Patriarchate DECR Chairman Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad said that he had reported to the Patriarch about the work of the organizational committee and the celebration of the feast. His Holiness conferred high church awards on those who had worked on the realization of this project.

Noting that quite recently the president of the organizational committee of the all-Russian Day of the family, love and loyalty and head of the guardian council of the special complex program “Spiritual and moral culture of Russia’s younger generation” S. Medvedeva was awarded with the Order of St. Euphrosinia of Moscow, a high award of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Kirill presented her with the patriarchal charter “with the expression of highest gratitude for the work done by her and the organizational committee under her guidance”.

In her response, S. Medvedeva expressed sincere gratitude for such a high assessment of the undertakings and initiatives expressed by her.

“This feast was blessed by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy. Probably that is why it was so easy for us all to work”, she noted. In her opinion, the main result and the main reward are people’s gratitude for the fact that now Russia has her own feast dedicated to the family, love and loyalty.

She thanked members of the organizational committee for their labours and all who had taken part in preparing the all-Russian celebration of the Day of the family, love and loyalty.

Vice president of the organizational committee, deputy chairman of the organizational committee of the Russian Culture Fund, director of international programs administration T. Shumova was honoured with the Order of St. Princess Olga Equal-to-the-Apostles, 3^rd degree.

E. Kataeva, member of the guardian council of the special complex program “Spiritual and moral culture of Russia’s younger generation”, was awarded the Order of St. Princess Olga, 2^nd degree.

Among those awarded patriarchal charters are head of the Administration Department of the Russian President’s plenipotentiary representative in the Central federal district M. Belogubova, manager of the international programs direction I. Borisova, head of the Moscow family and youth department L. Guseva, vice president of the all-Russian social organization of mass media workers “Mediasoyuz” E. Zelinskaya, secretary of the guardian council of the special complex program “Spiritual and moral culture of Russia’s younger generation” A. Katayev, Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Goznak” A. Trachuk and chief military King-of-Arms of the Federal Security Service N. Ukolov.

Metropolitan’s charters were handed to members of the Organizational Committee poetess E. Avdeeva, head of the Murom district of Vladimir region V. Kachevan, director of TV direction of the companies “Red square” I. Krivitsky, auditor of the Russian Audit Chamber S. Ryabuhin, secretary of the organizational committee of the all-Russian day of the family, love and loyalty E. Ryazantseva, secretary of the organizational committee D. Uzhegova, as well as benefactors, including general director of the law company “Semenyaka and Co” S. Pupko and general director of “Mosoblgas” D. Bolshakov.

Metropolitan’s charters were also received by staff members of the Russian President’s plenipotentiary representative’s administration in the central federal district: chief councilor I. Gavrilov, leading specialist G. Kolyada and councilor T. Nasetkina.

After the end of the awarding ceremony S. Medvedeva demonstrated to those present a diploma marking the support of the church social forum exhibition “Orthodox Russia” by the organizational committee of the all-Russian Day of the family, love and loyalty by the National Unity Day.

S. Medvedeva, who took part in the solemn opening ceremony on November 8, shared her impressions of this forum, noting that on the second day the exhibition saw a great multitude of people seeking to get into Manezh, its venue, which testifies to the extraordinary popularity of this forum.

On his part, Metropolitan Kirill noted the importance of the fact that this year family, love and loyalty, bringing people together, became the central theme of the forum.