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In the evening of January 7, 2014, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated Great Vespers at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.

Concelebrating with His Holiness were Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Archbishop Gregory of Mozhaisk; Archbishop Arseny of Istra, Patriarch’s first vicar for Moscow; vicars of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and vicars of the Moscow diocese; representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia – Metropolitan Athanasios of Kyrenaika (Orthodox Church of Alexandria); Bishop Antonije of Moravicí (Serbian Orthodox Church); Archimandrite Stephan (Dispirakis) (Orthodox Church of Jerusalem); Archimandrite Feoktist (Dimitrov) (Bulgarian Orthodox Church); and Archimandrite Alexander (Pihach) (Orthodox Church in America); heads of the Synodal institutions; fathers superior of stavropegic monasteries; and clerics of Moscow and the Moscow region.

Praying at the service were Archimandrite Parthenios (Murelatos), father superior of the Monastery of St Paul on Mount Athos, and the brethren of the monastery, who have brought to Moscow the Christian relic – Gifts of the Magi. Among the worshippers were also Mr. Vladimir Legoyda, chairman of the Synodal Information Department; hegumennesses of stavropegic convents; Moscow clerics; members of the Moscow churches’ parish councils; staff-members of the Synodal institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church; Muscovites; and visitors to the capital of Russia.

During the service, an old Gospel, dating back to the time of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, was brought out from the altar. The Gospel, which is used for solemn festive services, was bequeathed by the late Metropolitan Pitirim of Volokolamsk and Yuriev to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and was transferred there from the Monastery of St Joseph of Volokolamsk.

On behalf of the whole Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna greeted His Holiness Patriarch Kirill with the feast of the Nativity of Christ, saying in particular:

“…Our hearts are filled with great joy over the presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the world. We make our earthly journey under the guidance of the holy Church. We are with Christ during His flight into Egypt, we listen to His salutory commandments and become witnesses of His miracles. All this is possible for us under the guidance of the holy Church which you wisely govern. And at a time when we see new phases of the atheistic attitude to life, to the Church, and to Christ Himself, you take care of our Church and of the salvation of the faithful.”

After the service, the Primate of the Russian Church addressed the worshippers with his primatial homily.