His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the commemoration day of St. Philaret
On 2 December 2015, the commemoration day of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.
Upon arrival in the Cathedral, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church venerated the holy relics of St. Philaret of Moscow.
At the Liturgy His Holiness officiated at the consecration of archimandrite Paramon (Golubka) as Bishop of Bronnitsy, a vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
Among those concelebrating with His Holiness were Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Arseny of Istra, first Patriarchal vicar for Moscow; Metropolitan Daniel of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory; Metropolitan Sergy of Barnaul and Altai, Metropolitan Isidor of Smolensk and Roslavl; Archbishop Feognost of Sergiev Posad, chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries And Monasticism and abbot of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius Laura.
Present at the Cathedral were Russian Minister S. Donskoy of Natural Resources and Ecology; chairman L. Slutsky of the State Duma Committee on affairs of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots; deputy minister A. Ivanov of finances; President Yu. Slyusar of the United Aircraft Corporation; chairman S. Chucha of the Moscow Arbitration Court.
Attending the service were also the Revd. Ciro Capotosto, prior of the Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari, and administrator of the Basilica, monk Vincenzo Marrulli.
Among the worshippers were Prof. N. Drozdov of the Moscow State University, related to St. Philaret of Moscow through great-great-grandparents; hegumenesses of convents, and clergymen of Moscow churches.
The Cathedral choir conducted by I. Tolkachev sang liturgical hymns.
After the Litany of Fervent Supplication the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church lifted up a prayer for peace in Ukraine.
The service was broadcast live on the “Soyuz” TV channel.
After glorification at the shrine with the relics of St. Philaret His Holiness addressed the worshippers with his primatial homily.
The Primate of the Russian Church told them about the completion of the programme of the translation of the relics of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles and the celebration dedicated to him.
His Holiness said that it had been not just a celebration because through the study of historical texts and introduction to the veneration of Prince Vladimir by the Russian Orthodox Church many people have found many essential things necessary for comprehending the religious life in the labours of state leaders and in the life of the entire nation.
Patriarch Kirill reminded the worshippers that over 850,000 people venerated a particle of the relics of St. Vladimir in 80 cities and thanked the clerics who accompanied the translation of the relics throughout the year.
His Holiness thanked the organizers and presented medals ‘In commemoration of the 1000th anniversary of the demise of Grand Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles’ to Konstantin Malofeyev, a founder of the St. Basil the Great Foundation and to Sergei Rudov, chairman of St. Maxim the Greek Foundation.
Small icons with Patriarchal blessing were distributed among the worshippers.