Metropolitan Cornelius’ 90th birthday is celebrated in Tallinn
The 90th birthday of Metropolitan Cornelius of Tallinn and All Estonia was celebrated in Tallinn on June 18-19, 2014.
Taking part in the celebration with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department (DECR) for External Church Relations, archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations, and hierodeacon Nicholas (Ono).
On June 18, Metropolitan Hilarion met with Metropolitan Cornelius and warmly greeted him with the remarkable date in his life. A dinner in honour of the first hierarch of the Estonian Church was given.
On June 19, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Tallinn Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky, taking part in which were Metropolitan Cornelius, Metropolitan Hilarion, Bishop Alexander of Daugavpils and Rezekne, Bishop Lazar of Narva, clerics of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and ordained guests from different countries of the world who came to Tallinn for celebrations.
Attending the divine service were Archbishop Andreas Pöder, head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia, and Bishop Philipp Jordan, representative of the Roman Catholic Church.
After the Liturgy, Metropolitan Hilarion read out the congratulatory message from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Metropolitan Cornelius and handed him a high award of the Russian Orthodox Church – the Order of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles, 1st class.
A festive reception was given in honour of the renowned archpastor.