His Holiness Patriarch Kirill arrives in Athos on pilgrimage

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will make a pilgrimage to the Holy Mount of Athos on May 27-29, 2016.

This is the second visit of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Holy Mountain. The first one, during which His Holiness visited many Athonite monasteries, took place in 2013.

This visit is linked with Russian monasticism on Athos. After meeting with the Protos and with the members of the Holy Kinot His Holiness will visit the Russian Monastery of St. Panteleimon.

His Holiness will celebrate at the Old Roussikon and at the Xilurgou scete, the original site of Russian monasticism. On Sunday, His Holiness will celebrate Divine Liturgy at the Monastery of St. Panteleimon.

The Holy Mountain of Athos plays a special role in the spiritual life of the Russian people. The millennium of Russian monasticism on Athos is widely celebrated in Russia this year. The Church and the state are organizing exhibitions, concerts and conferences. The Monastery has been successfully reviving in the last years thanks to the Public Board of Trustees established in 2011 and chaired by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.