From the memories of the future Patriarch Kirill about his life, which he shared in the film “Metropolitan,” filmed for his 55th birthday. “Difficult genre” - this is what the future Patriarch called the interview at the very beginning of the film.

In an atmosphere of love and fidelity
I was born in the first post-war year in Leningrad. At that time, his father was an engineer at a military plant, his mother was a German teacher in high school.
A year after my birth, very big changes took place in the family: my father became a priest. At that time, this was a rather unexpected turn in a person’s fate. But all this had its own backstory. My grandfather (my father's father) was a man of deep faith and strong in spirit. In the post-revolutionary years, he ended up on Solovki and was one of the first Solovki residents. After this, his fate was tragic. My grandfather spent about 30 years in prisons and exile, having a family of eight children. And of course, he greatly influenced the whole family and my father.
Mom and Dad met in the church of the Kyiv Metochion in Leningrad. They both sang in the choir, fell in love and decided to get married. And a few days before the wedding, the father is arrested and sent to Kolyma. It turned out that he too followed the path of his grandfather... In 1947, Vladyka Gregory ordained him, sending him to the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God at the Smolensk cemetery, located not far from our house. We lived on Vasilyevsky Island.
Mom and Dad had three children - the eldest Nikolai, me and the younger sister Elena. We have all taken the path of serving the Church. Our father was a book lover. We lived very modestly, in a communal apartment, but dad managed to collect an excellent library. It consisted of more than three thousand volumes. In my youth, I read something that became accessible to most of our fellow citizens only during the period of perestroika and Soviet times. And Berdyaev, and Bulgakov, and Frank, and the wonderful creations of our Russian religious and philosophical thought of the early 20th century. And even Parisian publications...

“If you agree with me wearing a tie to church, then I’m ready to tie it...”
I studied - and not bad - at an advanced school. By all accounts he should have become a pioneer. But I didn’t think it was possible. I remember the school director invited me to talk. And I told her:
– If you agree that I wear a tie to church, then I’m ready to tie it.
She, of course, replied:
- No.
You can imagine the situation - a thousand children in school, and one boy without a tie. I was always in a state of readiness to answer why I didn’t do this...
The atmosphere in our family was amazing. I hardly remember mom and dad quarreling. It was a very happy marriage. I think that both the atmosphere prevailing at home and the situation at school, accompanied by some kind of confrontation, all this led me to the decision to become a priest.
Already at the age of 15 I had clear beliefs and ideas about the future. At this age I left home and began to live on my own. But he didn’t leave because there was anything wrong. I couldn't have my parents taking care of me financially all the time. Having asked for their blessing, I went to work for the Leningrad Complex Geological Expedition. At the same time, he continued to study at night school. I found myself among deeply religious people. It was the St. Petersburg intelligentsia who gave me quite a lot. These people taught me serious music. We often went to the Mariinsky Theater and the Philharmonic. Communication with them increased my interest in poetry and fiction.

The Lord protected us all from these cold winds
I remember there was trolleybus No. 1, which went along the entire Nevsky Prospekt. I will never forget this moment - I was driving and counting down these stops. With sacred trepidation I then entered the building of the Theological Seminary on the Obvodny Canal. The diocese was located here at that time. Vladika Nikodim huddled in small rooms. Entering the office and seeing him, I was amazed. It seemed like he had known me for a long time. It was like I was meeting a friend. I remember this piercing, penetrating look. In front of me was a very strong man, with incredible willpower and intelligence. Since I wanted to go to university first, I asked him:
– What should I do, Vladyko?
He thought about it and said:
– You know, I wouldn’t recommend it to you. There are many physicists in our country, but few priests. Go straight to seminary.
I have never regretted listening.
The seminary and academy were preparing to close. A rather strict selection of students was carried out. This was done with the active intervention of the authorities. And starting from 1960, very few students were accepted into the seminary. Moreover, they accepted people of a very low intellectual level, most often the mentally ill. And those who studied at the academy and graduated from it were young, healthy, attractive, fairly developed people. And this border was perceived by me in a visible way. You would come in for a meal and the tables would be buzzing with full academic courses: fourth, third, second. The first one is smaller. And at the seminar tables there is darkness and despondency. It was very difficult for me.
It is unknown how the matter would have ended if, again, it were not for Vladyka Nicodemus. While he was alive, we did not feel the pressure from the authorities that everyone was talking about. The Lord protected us all from these cold winds. We were like in a greenhouse with a very friendly atmosphere conducive to our growth. When he died, this atmosphere collapsed in an instant. And I felt not just a breath, but a storm blow of these winds. Only then did I understand what Vladyka Nicodemus was...
The man lived such a deep liturgical, ascetic life. Being completely ill, Vladyka Nikodim could not stand before the throne. But he did not stop praying. And we brought the throne to his cell. The hieromonk he appointed performed the Liturgy every day, and the Vladyka received communion. He enjoyed the absolute support and love of the people. This was especially true when he died. It was something amazing. In my memory there are tens of thousands of people in “atheistic” Leningrad...

Features of the St. Petersburg Theological School
I came at a very difficult time. Almost all the professors of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, our pillars, have left. Glimpses of its former glory, of course, were present in the life of the academy in the 60s. And from them we could understand what the St. Petersburg Theological School is. She was more missionary, and therefore more open. If you look from the point of view of the dialogue of civilizations, St. Petersburg is an interesting place. Here Russian Orthodoxy met face to face with Western European culture, with this powerful partner. What could have happened? And the fact that Western culture, by the way, and heterodoxy, which were present in St. Petersburg, could, if not crush Orthodoxy, then shade or push aside, show it its place. But nothing like that happened. Orthodoxy united with this culture. And it has not changed, has not ceased to be Russian. It became clear that Orthodoxy is a universal phenomenon, not tied to one culture or one people. This is a universal faith, a Universal Church that can work, act and fertilize any culture - this is the experience of St. Petersburg. This focus on dialogue with the world encouraged corresponding theological development. It was necessary to preserve this connection of times. On the other hand, it will already give impetus to the new development of the school. And we did it. Confidentially, but with full understanding that this must be done. And the result, I think, was positive. Yes, there was a misunderstanding. But not the opposition, which did not exist in the Church at all. Suffice it to say that at that time the chairman of the Educational Committee was His Holiness Patriarch Alexy. At that time, the Metropolitan of Tallinn and Estonia, His Holiness, being in Moscow, fully supported everything that was happening at the academy. I came to him with the curriculum, showed him, and he agreed with everything.

“Only later will we find out why all this was necessary...”
I was rector for 10 years. And they transferred to Smolensk in one day. This, of course, was a resignation. By the way, the first person who set me up correctly was His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, who was then the property manager. When I arrived to see him, His Holiness said words that I still remember:
– Master, none of us can understand why this happened. From the point of view of human logic, this should not have happened, but it happened. And only then will we find out why all this was necessary.
Now it has become known from archival sources that the initiators of my sudden transfer from Leningrad to Smolensk were secular authorities.
In Smolensk, in the cathedral, especially near the miraculous image of Hodegetria, I understood a lot. My whole being was then seized by some kind of spiritual trembling. I thought - the Lord brought me here not by chance. I remembered how, as a child, I stood in front of the miraculous image of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God - on the left choir of the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God at the Smolensk cemetery in Leningrad... Then at this icon I turned my first prayers to God. Mom was standing nearby. I remember my father celebrating the Liturgy...
In a word, I felt that God’s hand was in everything literally from the first day of my stay in Smolensk. I thank God for leading me through this experience of being a bishop in a poor diocese. I had to go through all this. I came face to face with the destroyed church life of our province... These half-empty and empty village churches with broken glass and broken roofs. They had to be reached on foot in knee-deep mud or on some kind of cart. With God's help, by the beginning of perestroika, we restored the village churches of the Smolensk region. Then new parishes began to open.
If there is a desire among the people to build a temple, it will be built. Therefore, it is as if the will of God is reflected in the will of the people. With what enthusiasm, with what zeal did people begin to build the temple - a living symbol that unites all Smolensk residents...

Defend the Church before the authorities
The Department for External Church Relations was created in 1945, when Russia and the Church were faced with the task of reviving and returning Russian Orthodox influence in the world. Metropolitan Nikolai of Krutitsky, who headed the department, took upon himself the most difficult feat and carried it without bending.
But when Vladyka Nikodim headed the department, the growth of the institution began. After all, the department needed, first of all, to defend the Church before the authorities. He found himself in this borderline sphere of church-state relations. Basically, defense at the general church level was carried out precisely from these “trenches.” The main task of the bishops of the 60s was to stop the persecution. Let us remember Vladyka Nicodemus, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, Vladyka Pitirim, Vladyka Philaret of Minsk, Vladyka Juvenaly, Vladyka Hermogenes (Orekhov). I could name many more names. The people had somewhat different views and beliefs. Some are more traditionalists, others are more dynamic in their mission and in dialogue with the world. But it was a group of like-minded people. And thanks to this we survived.
If everything is expressed in military terms, then before the advanced detachments go on the offensive, the theater of military operations must be prepared. There must be military intelligence data, a study of the terrain, it is necessary to aim, so to speak, the appropriate guns, and then launch forward detachments. Everything that precedes the actual mission of the Church is the Department of External Church Relations.
We live not in the era of John Chrysostom, but in the era of secularization. Not formal secularization - separation, so to speak, of the secular from the spiritual. The actual secularization of consciousness and people's lives. The Church, even by religious people, is often pushed to the periphery. For many, the Church is just a temple that they go to once a week, at best. Some, considering themselves believers, come here sometimes once a month, once a year, even once in a lifetime... And now the appeal to people should be different. We need to heal consciousness and human hearts. The Church must open itself to these people, who are in many ways spiritually sick.

Then I put myself in God's hands
One very wise Leningrad priest, God rest upon him, Father Evgeniy Ambartsumov, who taught at our theological academy, upon learning that I had applied for monasticism, said to me:
- Volodya, do you realize what you did?
- Yes, but not completely.
– You decided the fate not only for yourself, a twenty-two-year-old boy. You said “yes” to a thirty, forty, and fifty year old man. And for a sixty-year-old and a seventy-year-old man. You said “yes” for all of them. Couldn’t it turn out that this seventy- or sixty-five-year-old will then spit on you?
- Don't know. I don't have an answer to this.
Then I put myself in God's hands. As if drawing a line, I said to myself: “March 27, 1969 is the day when I have to decide. If I don’t get married by this time, I will become a monk.” It turned out that he did not marry and became a monk.
Of course, a person remains a person, but everything depends on the lifestyle. Bishop Nikodim taught me:
– You will never cope with your problems if you have a lot of free time. Make sure you never have one.
The Vladyka himself did not, and since then I have no free time...
As a child, and it was during Communion, I lost my bearings a little and accidentally walked through the Royal Doors. Mom, of course, gasped, took me by the hand, led me after the Liturgy to the rector and said:
- Father, something incredible happened. So the son came out of the Royal Doors onto the salt.
My father looked at me like that, smiled, waved his hands and said:
- The bishop will be...

Patriarch Kirill celebrates his anniversary today. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church conducts the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The Metropolitan of Warsaw, the Patriarchs of Serbia and Alexandria, the Catholicos of Georgia, and the heads of other local churches also take part in the service - they arrived the day before to congratulate the Primate.

On the eve of the anniversary, Vladimir Putin signed a decree awarding Patriarch Kirill the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, first degree, as emphasized, for outstanding educational and peacemaking activities, preservation and development of spiritual traditions.

Kirill has headed the Russian Orthodox Church since 2009, during which time many important events related to his name have occurred. A historic meeting with the Pope for the protection of Christians, a large-scale celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', reforms have begun in the dioceses.

The first entry in the personal file of Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyaev is that he was accepted as an apprentice draftsman of the cartographic bureau from 12/01/1962.

This record from the personal file is still carefully kept in the Rosgeologiya branch in St. Petersburg. It was here that the future Patriarch Kirill came to work after eighth grade. Vladimir Gundyaev is his worldly name. But the son of a Leningrad priest did not dream of a career as a cartographer, but of serving God.

“We lived very poorly, and I wanted to help my parents. And so he practically left home and helped his parents financially as best he could. This is such a material part of this plan. On the other hand, I’ll be honest, I was a little bored at school, I felt great among adults. This was the time of my formation,” says Patriarch Kirill.

On this path of development, each new stage turned out to be more difficult than the previous one. It was not easy at the Theological Academy, where, at the request of Metropolitan Nikodim of Leningrad, the future priest took two courses in one year. And in the end he graduated from this educational institution with honors. Despite his age, he makes one of his main decisions: to renounce everything worldly and become a monk.

“At 22 years old it’s hard to choose. What happened to me, in a sense, is truly the finger of God, apparently it was meant to be, and I thank the Lord that he strengthened me at that time. Because after all, the age was quite young. And he helped me get through those years so that, as they say, I did not waste myself, but saved myself for future service,” notes Patriarch Kirill.

He wanted to devote himself to theology and work in a theological academy. And later he even became its rector. But in 1984, a sharp turn took place in the fate of His Holiness - he was removed from his post. As it turned out later, on the instructions of Soviet officials who oversaw the church, who did not like the excessive activity of the rector. And they sent him to head the Smolensk diocese, which at that time was in a deplorable state, like the Kaliningrad diocese, which was also transferred to his jurisdiction. They thought that this resignation would greatly break the monk, but it only made him stronger.

“Well, there would be no Patriarch Kirill today if it weren’t for that very Metropolitan of Smolensk, because my final formation took place there, and it did not take place in some cloudless space, I constantly had to overcome difficulties and bear the cross,” says Patriarch Kirill.

In 2009, Metropolitan Kirill became the 16th Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. The primate is confident: the church must become more accessible. Therefore, new churches are opening all over the country, and with them the number of dioceses is increasing. In seven years - almost doubled. But His Holiness’s main emphasis is on ensuring that as many people as possible want to come to church and find their way to God.

“The expression is well known that God does not give a cross beyond one’s strength. And the difficulties we face, the problems we face, require overcoming. What is overcoming? This is a concentration of forces, this is a constant movement forward. I think it is necessary not only for the clergy to understand this, but for everyone to understand that bearing the cross is a movement forward and upward,” noted Patriarch Kirill.

On November 20, 2017, Monday of the 25th week after Pentecost, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. On this day His Holiness turned 71 years old.

2017 marks the 170th anniversary of the founding of the official representation of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Holy Land - the Russian Spiritual Mission in the Holy City of Jerusalem, as well as the 200th anniversary of the birth of the head of the Russian Spiritual Mission, Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin). The solemn service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was attended by His Eminence archpastors and clergy who previously held the position of head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem, as well as the current head of the Spiritual Mission.

During the Divine Liturgy, the consecration of Archimandrite Ignatius (Suranov) as Bishop of Mariinsko-Posad, vicar of the Cheboksary diocese (Chuvash Metropolis) was performed.

Concelebrating with His Holiness were: Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna, Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Diocese, head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem in 1963-1965; Metropolitan Valentin (Mishchuk); Metropolitan Varnava of Cheboksary and Chuvashia; Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk, Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church; Metropolitan of Voronezh and Liskinsky Sergius; Metropolitan of Yaroslavl and Rostov Panteleimon, head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem in 1982-1986; Metropolitan Arseny of Istra, first vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' for Moscow; Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Barsanuphius, administrator of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslavsky, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem in 1986-1988; Metropolitan Kirill of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye; Metropolitan of Rostov and Novocherkassk Mercury, Chairman of the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechesis; Metropolitan Feofan of Kazan and Tatarstan; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Feodosius of Tambov and Rasskazovsky, head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem in 1993-2002; Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky, Chairman of the Financial and Economic Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Savvaty of Ulan-Ude and Buryat; Metropolitan Ignatius of Vologda and Kirillov; Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, manager of the affairs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy; Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk; Metropolitan of Saransk and Mordovian Zinovy; Metropolitan Pavel of Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgut; Metropolitan of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh Isidor; Archbishop of Vitebsk and Orsha Dimitry; Archbishop Eugene of Vereisky, Chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church; Archbishop Savva of Tiraspol and Dubossary; Archbishop Feognost of Sergiev Posad, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism, Vicar of the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius; Archbishop of Pyatigorsk and Circassia Theophylact; Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh, head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem in 2002-2006; Archbishop Sergius of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archbishop of Yakutsk and Lensk Roman; Bishop Gury (Shalimov); Bishop Tikhon of Vidnovsky; Bishop Anthony of Zvenigorod, head of the Moscow Patriarchate Office for Foreign Institutions; Bishop Theophylact of Dmitrov, abbot of the St. Andrew's Stavropegic Monastery; Bishop of Serpukhov Roman; Bishop Tikhon of Podolsk, head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem in 2006-2009. ; Bishop of Krasnoslobodsky and Temnikovsky Clement; Bishop of Orekhovo-Zuevsky Panteleimon, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service; Bishop Savva of the Resurrection, first deputy administrator of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, abbot of the Novospassky stauropegic monastery; Bishop of Volgodonsk and Salsky Korniliy; Bishop Stefan of Kanash and Yantikov; Bishop Nikolai of Balashikha; Bishop of Neftekamsk and October Ambrose; Bishop of Tikhvin and Lodeynopol Mstislav; Bishop of Alatyr and Poretsk Theodore; Bishop of Shakhtinsky and Millerovsky Simon; Bishop of Vyazemsky and Gagarinsky Sergius; Bishop Tikhon of Yegoryevsk, Chairman of the Patriarchal Council for Culture, Abbot of the Sretensky Stavropegic Monastery; Bishop Paramon of Bronnitsky, abbot of the Donskoy stauropegial monastery; Bishop of Borisoglebsky and Buturlinovsky Sergius; Bishop of Pereslavl and Uglich Theodore; Bishop Peter of Lukhovitsky; Bishop Seraphim of Lyubertsy, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs; Bishop of Roslavl and Desnogorsk Meletius.

Also concelebrating with the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church were: Protopresbyter Vladimir Divakov, Secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' for Moscow; Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Deputy Chairman of the DECR MP; Archimandrite Filaret (Bulekov), Deputy Chairman of the DECR MP; Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov), Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archpriest Alexander Ageikin, rector of the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow; Archimandrite Alexander (Elisov), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem; Archimandrite Nikita (Latushko), rector of the Holy Trinity Church in Vsevolozhsk (St. Petersburg Metropolis), head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem in 1988-1993; Archimandrite Isidore (Minaev), rector of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ (near the Warsaw Station) in St. Petersburg, head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem in 2009-2013; Hegumen Feofan (Lukyanov), head of the Protocol Sector of the DECR MP, acting Head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem in 2013-2015; priest Alexander Volkov, head of the Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'; clergy of Moscow and the Chuvash Metropolis.

Present at the service were: Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Central Federal District A.D. Beglov; President of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic V.N. Krasnoselsky; Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on International Affairs L.E. Slutsky; Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Affairs of Public Associations and Religious Organizations S.A. Gavrilov; Vice President of the Republic of Abkhazia V.V. Gabnia; Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Advisor to the Mayor of Moscow and Advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' on construction issues V.I. Resin; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Abkhazia to the Russian Federation I.M. Ahba; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the Russian Federation Maris Riekstins; Chairman of the State Council of the Chuvash Republic V.N. Filimonov; Head of the Department of National Policy of Interregional Relations and Tourism of Moscow V.I. Suchkov; Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of PJSC PhosAgro A.N. Guryev; Chairman of the Board, General Director of PJSC PhosAgro A.A. Guryev.

Praying at the Liturgy were the Chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations of the Church with Society and the Media V.R. Legoyda, clergy, monastics and laity who came to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior to pray with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the birthday of His Holiness.

Liturgical hymns were performed by the Patriarchal Choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (regent I.B. Tolkachev).

The service was broadcast live on the Soyuz TV channel.

The special litany included special petitions for the health of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. After the special litany, Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna read a prayer for the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Then His Holiness Patriarch Kirill offered a prayer for peace in Ukraine.

At the funeral litany, petitions were offered for the repose of the souls of the departed mentors and relatives of His Holiness, including the servants of God Metropolitan Nicodemus, Archpriest Michael, Raisa, Priest Vasily, Paraskeva.

The sermon before communion was delivered by Archpriest Maxim Kravchenko, rector of the Church of the Entry of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Veshnyaki, Moscow.

At the end of the Liturgy, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill performed a funeral litany for the deceased leaders of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.

Then His Holiness Patriarch Kirill admonished Bishop Ignatius of Mariinsko-Posad, vicar of the Cheboksary diocese, to the service and handed him the bishop’s staff:

“Reverend Bishop Ignatius!

Today, omnipotent grace from the Father emanating and the Comforter Spirit sent by the Son has sanctified your nature. Surrounded by a host of hierarchs, shepherds and laity, visible with bodily eyes, and overshadowed by the wings of the disembodied Heavenly Forces, visible with spiritual eyes, you received under the arches of this temple the gift of episcopacy, so that “to shepherd the Church of the Lord and God, which He purchased with His own blood”(Acts 20:28).

Having become the successor of the apostolic ministry, having clothed yourself in holy robes, you, like your predecessors - fellow archpastors, stand before us awaiting the parting words of the Primate. Heed the Patriarchal instruction and imprint it on your heart. May it help you to pass through the episcopal field properly, present yourself approved to God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth(2 Tim. 2:15).

Archpastoral service is as high as it is difficult. High because it is a continuation on earth of the great and glorious service of the disciples of Christ, those whose eyes were privileged to see, hands to touch, and ears to hear Him who became incarnate for the sake of the Son of the Father. The focus of the apostolic mission was the gospel of the Risen Jesus. Messengers on behalf of Christ(2 Cor. 5:20), they walked even to the ends of the earth(Acts 1:8), calling people make peace with God(2 Cor. 5:20), repent, turn your hearts to Him. From now on, you too must continue their work on earth, salt this world with saving gospel verbs, be his light(Matt. 5:13).

As I have already said, the episcopal service is not only high, but also difficult. It requires dedication and patience, devotion to duty and courage. Remember that the apostles gave their lives to their beloved Teacher without reserve. Remember that they did not seek peace, were not afraid of labor and trials, were not afraid of tormentors, or torment, or death itself. Remember and imitate them in your service.

This year, together with the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate by the Local Council, we remember the beginning of the sorrowful path of the Russian Church, which revealed a great host of witnesses of the Truth, martyrs and confessors. By the grace of God today we do not face open persecution, we are not persecuted for our faith. However, in any era, genuine confession of our Lord and Savior requires perseverance and fortitude, for it is often accompanied by various difficulties and oppression. This confession may be accompanied by troubles from false brethren, and temptations and temptations that rise up in the soul.

“In the world you will have tribulation; but take heart: I have overcome the world."(John 16:33), says Christ to His disciples. Fear nothing, for "the prince of this world is condemned"(John 16:11). Dare, do not be afraid, just believe, and your faith will save you(Luke 8:48-50). While performing episcopal labors, never forget these words of the Conqueror of death and Giver of life. May they encourage you in your upcoming ministry. So, take heart and, like the apostles, with boldness do not stop teaching and preaching about Jesus Christ(Acts 5:42). Be bold and diligently feed His verbal flock, supervising him not forcefully, but willingly and godly(1 Pet. 5:2). Be bold and with ardent faith, with immutable trust in the Lord, perform the responsible obedience entrusted to you.

Let Saint Ignatius, Bishop of the Caucasus, after whom you are named in monasticism, be an example of your episcopal service. This zealous man of prayer and strict abstinence also showed us a vivid image of a zealous archpastor and inspired preacher, an experienced counselor and an active temple builder. Due to physical weakness, he was not long the ruling bishop. However, during his time at the pulpit, this marvelous servant of the Lord managed, despite difficult external circumstances, to grow many fruits in the field of Christ. I urge you in your episcopal work to become like your heavenly patron, who was tirelessly zealous for the glory of God.

How can one show oneself to be a good shepherd - such as St. Ignatius was? Where to find strength, understanding, will? For this you need “to be the bishop of your heart and sacrifice to Christ thoughts and feelings sanctified by the Spirit”. These wonderful words were once spoken by the rector of the Sergius Hermitage, Archimandrite Ignatius, when he was named Bishop of the Caucasus and Black Sea, and he always tried to follow these words himself. Above all, be the bishop of your heart, the prudent steward of the house of your soul. Then you will be able to become a real bishop of human hearts, a wise steward of the church inheritance entrusted to your care.

The Holy Synod determined that you should serve in the land of Chuvashia, where you were born and raised, took holy orders and carried out various responsible obediences. I urge you to be a zealous and like-minded co-worker of His Grace Barnabas, Metropolitan of Cheboksary and Chuvashia, who has been taking care of the organization of church life in the region for many years. Help the ruling bishop in his work to develop educational and catechetical activities in the diocese, in work with youth, in the ministry of mercy, as well as in other good endeavors for the benefit of the church. Show yourself, according to the word of Scripture, good steward of the manifold grace of God(1 Pet. 4:10), who devotes all his strength and abilities to perfection of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edification of the Body of Christ(Eph. 4:12).

With such parting words, I present you with this episcopal staff - a symbol of archpastoral power and the great responsibility associated with it for human souls. Now bless the people ahead who have now prayerfully participated in your consecration. Amen".

According to tradition, the newly ordained bishop gave the first archpastoral blessing to the believers.

After the proclamation of many years to the Primate of the Russian Church, Metropolitan Yuvenaly turned to His Holiness: “Your Holiness! You have just commemorated the workers of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for the fact that a few days ago you blessed the former leaders and workers of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and celebrate there the 170th anniversary of the founding of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem. “I have the duty to convey to you the love and well-wishes of His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem, who together with our delegation prayed both at the Holy Sepulcher and in our Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalem.”

Then Metropolitan Yuvenaly read a reading to the members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

Metropolitan Yuvenaly presented His Holiness with gifts from the Holy Synod - a copy of the enthronement doll and mantle of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of All-Russia, as well as a bouquet of roses. “This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate, and these days we remember the enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. Please accept an exact copy of the Patriarchal robes and robes, in which His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon was at that historical moment,” said Metropolitan Yuvenaly.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed the believers with the Primate’s word:

“Your Eminence, Metropolitan Juvenaly! Your Eminences and Graces, dear rulers! All-honorable fathers! Brothers and sisters!

I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for gathering in such large numbers on this weekday to pray with me. I'm not celebrating any milestone today - just another milestone in life. But if it is accompanied by church-wide prayer, it becomes a very important spiritual moment for me personally. I am aware that my weak strength is strengthened by the prayer of many archpastors, shepherds, and the people of God.

In the ordinary Gospel reading (Luke 12:42-48), which we heard today, there are wonderful words: from the one who has been given much, much will be required. These words directly relate, among other things, to the ministry of the Patriarch. The Patriarch has been given a lot by the Church. By electing a Patriarch, the Church hopes that he, having become the head of the episcopate, clergy, and laity, will not make mistakes that would cause irreparable damage to church life; that he will unshakably and unchangeably preserve the Orthodox faith; that he will unite the episcopate, the clergy, and the believing people; that he will see through the problems of the current time and, relying on the Church, formulate a church-wide response to these problems. Today I can say with complete confidence: it is thanks to the support of the episcopate - the Council of Bishops, the Holy Synod - thanks to the powerful support of the people, which I feel in prayers, and in your letters, and in your kind views, that our Church, going through very difficult historical conditions are strengthened today by the grace of God. New dioceses, churches, monasteries, many Sunday schools, and various educational institutions are opening. Significant work is being done both with young people and with socially vulnerable people - the needy, the disabled. A lot of educational work is being done; missionaries are working all over our Church. All this, of course, fills my soul with joy, but at the same time it increases the level of responsibility. When the Church had practically no opportunities other than performing divine services in churches and monasteries, then the demand was different. And today the possibilities of exerting a real spiritual influence on our entire people are open to us, and therefore they will ask us, according to the word of today’s Gospel, to the maximum: what in these new historical conditions, conditions of freedom for the Church, despite the dark forces constantly hindering the work of the Church, each of us has done and is doing. The level of responsibility today is very high. And the first thing we all need is to realize the height of this bar and measure our labors not only by the number of services performed and sermons delivered, not by how the believers gathered in churches respond to our words, but by what is happening in our people and with our people.

As opportunities for church preaching increase, the temptations with which the souls of our people are tempted increase exponentially. Today sin is not just obvious, although throughout history people have tried to hide sins, considering them something obscene and wrong. Today, sin is demonstrated in the most attractive way through cinema, through theater, through other forms of art. Art, which is designed to cultivate the human personality, enrich it, raise it to the sky, becomes a weight that does not allow a person to soar. Of course, I do not mean all art, but that which in recent years has declared its special role and its right to bring temptation and sin to the people, confusing people. Unfortunately, a significant part of our intelligentsia is repeating the disastrous mistake of their predecessors, who brought the country to disastrous revolutionary events, the centenary of which we remember this year.

Today is not the time to rock the boat of human passions, because already there is too much negative impact on a person, destroying his spiritual life. Today is the time to unite all healthy forces. The Church, art, culture, our writers, scientists, all those who love the Motherland must be together today, because we are entering a critical period in the development of human civilization. This is visible to the naked eye, and one would have to be blind not to see the approaching menacing moments of history, which the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian spoke about in the Book of Revelation. No one knows about that time (Matthew 24:36), but the approach or removal of this time depends on us - on the Church of God and on each person. The one who lives in truth, who fights sin, is on the side of light and truth; with his life, his creativity, especially if this person is public and capable of influencing others, he can slow down this slide of all humanity into the abyss of the end of history.

Our abuse is real not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness of this world, the spirits of wickedness in high places(Eph. 6:12). And therefore today, when I hear kind words addressed to me, I rejoice at your kindness, your fraternal support, but at the same time I ask each of you, brother archpastors and clergy, to realize our common historical responsibility for our people, for our country, if you want, for the human race. Because in the Russian Church, as in every Church, as in every parish, the entire fullness of the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church is reflected. We believe that the Lord will be with us. But in order not to succumb to temptation, we must be strong, we must be united as never before. The unity of our Church, overcoming divisions and schisms, including in Ukraine, is an important task that faces us all.

The Orthodox Church, tormented from the outside at the most dangerous time of post-revolutionary existence, suffered unbearable torment from internal divisions. But we know that the Lord, having led our people through many sufferings, our Church through Calvary, by His power gave unity to the Church, and revived faith among the people. We believe that today our Lord, the Savior and Provider of the world, will keep us in unity, restore unity where it was destroyed, strengthen us all in faith, our people in piety, and give us the opportunity to lead a peaceful life in faith, hope, love , through their labors affirming God’s truth in history, and therefore stopping the action of the dark force that turns human history into a movement towards the abyss. And may the Lord help us in all this. Thank you all for your holy prayers."

At the end of the service, a reception was held in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in honor of the birthday of His Holiness. President of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic V.N. delivered words of congratulations. Krasnoselsky, a greeting from the President of the Republic of Belarus A.G. was read out. Lukashenko.

In the Patriarchal chambers of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church received congratulations from the episcopate, the capital's clergy, monasticism and laity. Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation V.V. also arrived to congratulate His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation O.A. Golodets, First Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation S.V. Kiriyenko, Mayor of Moscow S.S. Sobyanin and others.

Press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'

On his birthday, November 20, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the house church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” at the Patriarchal residence in Peredelkino near Moscow.

Monastics carrying obediences in the Patriarchal residence prayed during the service.

Governor of the Moscow Region Andrei Vorobyov on Friday congratulated His Holiness Patriarch of All Rus' Kirill on his 69th birthday and wished him good health, strength and long years.

“I sincerely congratulate His Holiness Patriarch of All Rus' Kirill on his birthday. Each of our meetings produces results - helping people and doing good deeds. Good health, strength and many years to come!” – Vorobyov wrote on his Instagram account.

Film director Nikita Mikhalkov congratulated the Patriarch:

“I think that it is difficult to be the Most Holy Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' at any time. This is always a huge responsibility and a huge strain of spiritual and even physical strength. But holding this post today is doubly stressful. In a world torn apart by contradictions, living under the sword of Damocles of a wide variety of threats, maintaining the even rhythm of the Orthodox world is an incredible and extremely important task. It requires not only strength, it requires providence, courage, deep calm and a comprehensive faith capable of keeping all those who are in the bosom and under the auspices of the Orthodox Church from fear, despondency and “the hesitation of minds that are not solid in anything,” in the words A. S. Griboedova. I wish you, Your Holiness, only one thing - that what you want is inevitable,” Kommersant quotes the congratulation.

The editors of the portal “Orthodoxy and Peace” cordially congratulate His Holiness on his birthday and wish himGod's help in the Primate's labors and good health for many years to come!