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On 24 October 2009, a presentation of the book “The Sacrament of the Faith” in the Ukrainian language took place at the Laura of the Caves in Kiev. The Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department writes the book for External Church Relations Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine thanked Archbishop Hilarion for the broad range of his church educational activity and presented the book to the faculty and students of the Kiev Theological Academy and Seminary and the “Kiev-Mogilyanskaya Academy” National University. The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church said that the book by a great theologian of our time had been written for those who are interested in our Orthodox faith and the meaning of the church sacraments that sanctify and educate all people in this world.

The first deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Education Committee archimandrite Kirill (Govorun) underscored that the translation gives an opportunity to the Ukrainian readers to be introduced to the universal theological thoughts of the author. The translation is unique, as the original is replete with rich and complex theological terminology. A group of translators consisting of the leading Ukrainian philologists and theologians did much for the further shaping of theological terminology of the Ukrainian language.

Archbishop Hilarion told the audience that he had written “The Sacrament of the Faith” in 1992, at the dawn of the spiritual rebirth of our Fatherland, when there was not enough of theological literature.

“I would like to show in this book that the dogmas are not just theological definition, but rather the pillars on which the Church stands even today. We, Orthodox Christians, should know our doctrine and love the dogmas of the Church,” the archpastor continued.

The DECR Chairman cordially thanked His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir for high appreciation of his literary work. And presented copies of his book in Ukrainian to His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir, the Kiev Theological Academy, and the Kiev-Mogilyanskaya Academy.

“The Sacrament of the Faith” was first published in 1996, reprinted several times, and translated into many languages, including English, French, German, Polish, Finnish, Hungarian, Japanese, Serbian, and Macedonian.

After the presentation, Archbishop Hilarion delivered a lecture for the faculty and students of the Kiev Theological Schools. He spoke about the life and work of the great Cappadocian Father of the Church, St. Gregory the Theologian, to whom the Archbishop dedicated one of his books.