Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the commemoration day of Ss Cyril and Methodius
On 24 May 2015, the commemoration day of Ss Cyril and Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles and Teachers of the Slavs, the Name day of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, and the Day of Slavonic Literature and Culture, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.
Concelebrating were His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Patriarchal vicar for Moscow diocese; Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; other hierarchs and priests of the Russian Orthodox Church, and abbots of the monasteries.
Among the concelebrants there were members of the delegations of the Local Orthodox Churches; Metropolitan Methodius of Boston and archimandrite Nathanael (Symeonidis) of the Church of Constantinople; archbishop Michail of Prague and hierodeacon Alexander (Galushka) of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia; and Bishop Daniel of Santa Rosa of the Orthodox Church in America.
Attending the divine service were representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches to the Moscow Patriarchate, including those of the Orthodox Churches of Alexandria, Jerusalem, Bulgaria, Czech Lands and Slovakia, and America.
Among those attending the service were Mr. Beglov, Presidential Envoy in the Central Federal District; Minister Medinsky of Culture, Mr. Slutsky and Ms Yarovaya of the State Duma; Governor Karlin of the Altai region; Ambassador Boyko Kocev of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Russian Federation.
Praying at the service were also mother-superiors of several convents; volunteers and representatives of the Moscow Orthodox youth.
The choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the choir of the brethren of the Laura of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius, and the choir of Orthodox volunteers sang liturgical hymns.
The service was broadcast live by ‘Soyuz’ TV channel.
At the Little Entrance His Holiness Patriarch Kirill elevated seven archbishops and bishop to the rank of metropolitan.
Special prayers were offered for the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church who celebrated his Nameday.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said a prayer for peace in Ukraine.
A thanksgiving with prayers for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill was celebrated; Metropolitan Juvenaly read a prayer of thanksgiving.
Metropolitan Onufry read out a congratulatory address from the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church; Mr. Beglov congratulated His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on behalf of President Putin.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church delivered his homily and presented church awards to Metropolitan Mefody of Perm and Kungur (35th anniversary of episcopal consecration) and Metropolitan Yevlogy of Vladimir and Suzdal (25th anniversary of episcopal consecration and the 50th anniversary of ordination).