| Saints Cyril and Methodius: Examples of Evangelism and Christianisation By encountering the Slavic people through their own culture and language, they were able to win their love and trust and evangelize them. They did not impose foreign languages or strange customs upon them, but lived with them, mastered their speech and embraced their culture and traditions. Saints Cyril and Methodius, Apostles to the Slavs (feast day: 24 May according to the old calendar; 11 May according to the revised) are celebrated by Slav Orthodox Christians as national and cultural heroes as well as saints. Much like the Three Great Hierarchs, Saints Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Gregory the Theologian, whose contribution to Greek literature tends to overshadow what made them such remarkable saints, Cyril and Methodius’ life and sanctity also are frequently overshadowed by their contribution to Slavonic literature through the invention of the Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets. Yet they are greatly revered outside the Slav world. So what makes these saints so significant for Orthodox Christians with little or no connection with or interest in the Slavonic language? At the heart of the universal admiration the Christian Orthodox world has for Cyril and Methodius is their remarkable missionary achievements. Prince Ratislav of Moravia wrote to the Byzantine Emperor Michael III (842-867), informing him that his people had rejected paganism and that they had embraced Christianity, but they had no one to teach them the faith in their own language. Roman Catholic missionaries had attempted to evangelize the Slavs, but they were unsuccessful, because they all had tried to do so in Latin or Greek. The Slavs needed missionaries who could speak their language. The prince’s request was answered in the persons of Cyril and Methodius. Cyril and Methodius were brothers, born in Thessalonica, Greece early in the ninth century. Both were highly educated, and both became monks; Cyril was also a priest who knew Slavonic. |
| Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia received title of Doctor Honoris Causa of Ss Cyril And Methodius Theological Institute Of Post-Graduate Studies Source: DECR On 13 December 2014, a ceremony of awarding the Doctor Honoris Causa diploma to Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia was held at the Main Hall of Ss Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute for Post-Graduate Studies. The decision to confer the degree on Metropolitan Kallistos was made by the Academic Council of the Theological Institute and was approved by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Among those who attended the ceremony were Bishop Irinej of Baka (Serbian Orthodox Church); Archbishop Ivan Jurkovi , Apostolic Nuncio to Russia; Chaplain Clive Fairclough, rector of the Anglican parish in Moscow; Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuyevo, a Patriarchal vicar, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry; Bishop Tikhon of Podolsk, a Patriarchal vicar; hieromonk Ioann (Kopeykin), pro-rector of Ss Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute for Post-Graduate Studies; archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov, rector of St Tikhon’s Orthodox University; participants in the 2 nd International Theological Patristic Conference ‘St. Simeon the New Theologian and His Spiritual Heritage’; members of the Academic Council of Ss Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute; faculty and students of the Theological Institute; and staff members of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, rector of Ss Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute for Post-Graduate Studies, greeted all those present, saying in particular: “It is a great joy and privilege for us that, with the blessing of Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, doctor of theology honoris causa degree is awarded to one of the most notable Orthodox hierarchs of our times, Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia. |
| Cooperation agreement signed between Ss Cyril and Methodius Institute and Moscow State Institute of International Relations October 23, 2013 Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations, in his capacity as rector of the Ss Cyril and Methodius Institute of Post-Graduate and Doctoral Studies, and Dr. A. Torkunov, rector of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (university) (MGIMO) under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, signed a cooperation agreement between the two educational institutions, during the DECR chairman meeting with MGIMO faculty and students. In his welcoming address, the rector of MGIMO recalled the cooperation agreement he and Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad (now Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia) signed between MGIMO and the DECR branch of the post-graduate school of the Moscow Theological Academy back in 2005, noting with satisfaction that through all the years since the signing, the cooperation was systematic and substantial. “I believe the principal result of the cooperation is that our students are increasingly drawn to the spiritual values of Orthodoxy”, he said referring to St. Alexander Nevsky’s Church at the university attracting both its students and local people. Students, he said, seek to implement the spiritual values fostered in them by such concrete endeavours as, for instance, patronizing orphanages. Dr. Torkunov underscored the importance of cooperation between secular and theological institutions in the field of education. He gave high value to the work carried out by Metropolitan Hilarion in international and external church activity and to his educational efforts through TV programs and documentaries he creates. Metropolitan Hilarion spoke briefly about the work of the Ss Cyril and Methodius Institute as the highest body in the educational system of the Russian Orthodox Church. The cooperation agreement signed by Metropolitan Hilarion and Dr. Torkunov provides for participation of the Ss Cyril and Methodius Institute postgraduates and doctoral candidates in the MGIMO training programs and MGIMO students in the Institute’s programs, cooperation in advanced training, holding joint conferences, seminars, round tables, expert meetings, scientific studies as well as preparation of publications on subjects of mutual concern including those dealing with the role of the religious factor in the world politics and international relations today. |
| About Pages Проекты «Правмира» Raising Orthodox Children to Orthodox Adulthood The Daily Website on How to be an Orthodox Christian Today Twitter Telegram Parler RSS Donate Navigation Sts. Cyril and Methodius In the middle of the 9th Century, Patriarch Photius initiated large scale missionary labors in these regions by sending out the two brothers Constantine (in monasticism Cyril - 869) and Methodius (885 - both are commemorated May 11), first to the Khazar State north of the Caucasus (this was largely unsuccessful) and then to Moravia (Czechoslovakia) in 863. admin 09 May 2005 Of major importance in the history and development of Orthodoxy was the conversion of the Slavs and the shifting of the focus of the Church to the northern regions of Bulgaria, Serbia, Moravia, Romania, and then Russia. In the middle of the 9th Century, Patriarch Photius initiated large scale missionary labors in these regions by sending out the two brothers Constantine (in monasticism Cyril – 869) and Methodius (885 – both are commemorated May 11), first to the Khazar State north of the Caucasus (this was largely unsuccessful) and then to Moravia (Czechoslovakia) in 863. The Prince of Moravia, Rostislav, desired that his people hear the Word of God in their own language and the two brothers were apt missionaries in this respect as they had developed an alphabet, adapted from the Greek, which later was called Cyrillic (after St. Cyril). Using a local Macedonian dialect which they had heard near their birthplace of Thessalonica, the brothers began translating the liturgical books, Holy Scripture, etc., into this dialect, using the new alphabet which they had developed. This new liturgical language – Church Slavonic – became of crucial importance in the extension of the Orthodox faith into the Balkans and ultimately to Russia. This was so, since, unlike the Roman Catholic Church, which continued to insist on the use of Latin, the use of Church Slavonic allowed the new converts to hear the Gospel and the services in a language they could understand. The Mission to Moravia was ultimately doomed to failure because of the jealousy and persecution of German missionaries working in the same area. The brothers traveled to Rome (where St. Cyril died) and placed themselves under the protection of the Pope, but this was not honored by the Germans in Moravia and after the death of St. Methodius in 885, his followers were expelled from the country. |
| Sofia. Bulgarian Orthodox Church commemorates Equal-to-the-Apostles Saints Cyril and Methodius. The saints, who were brothers, lived in the 9th century. Cyril is thought to have been born in 827 – 828, while Methodius – in 815 – 820 in Thessaloniki, Byzantine Empire. They are generally considered by scholars Byzantine Greeks. The saints are said to have been the principal Christian missionaries among the Slavic peoples of Great Moravia and Pannonia, introducing Orthodox Christianity and writing to the hitherto illiterate, pagan Slav migrants into parts of Macedonia and elsewhere in the Balkans. Saints Cyril and Methodius are also thought the people who invented the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet Old Church Slavonic was transcribed in. The Bulgarian school in Plovdiv organised the first celebration dedicated to the saints in 1851 in the city of Plovdiv at the idea of Nayden Gerov, who was a prominent figure in the Bulgarian National Revival period. The initiative of Plovdiv teachers spread to other Bulgarian towns and cities in the 1860s. May 11 gradually turned into a celebration of enlightenment for all Bulgarians. The anthem of Bulgarian enlightenment, Varvi, Narode Vazrodeni was sung for the first time in 1900. Writer Stoyan Mihaylovski was the author of the text, while composer Panayot Pipkov wrote the music. There is evidence this day was a celebration of Bulgarian enlightenment even in the 12th century. Cyril and Methodius were canonised as saints as their pupils came to Bulgaria in 1886. Sources used: Wikipedia and others Code for blog Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Also by this author Today " s Articles Most viewed articles Functionality is temporarily unavailable. Most popular authors Functionality is temporarily unavailable. © 2008-2024 Pravmir.com |
| Today His Holiness Patriarch Kirill Celebrates His Name’s Day Photo: Fr. Igor Palkin/foto.patriarchia.ru On Monday, May 24, the commemoration day of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, celebrates his Name’s Day. Traditionally, representatives of the clergy, authorities, society, and world Christian and other confessions, congratulate the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church on this day. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said that by remembering Sts. Cyril and Methodius every year, the Church honors these saints as great enlighteners who brought the Slavs “culture and language, and did this not in isolation from moral and spiritual values and not in isolation from the most important thing – the goal-setting of human life.” “Their enlightenment was aimed at helping people become saints, so that they would achieve the main goal of being, which is the union between man and God, the sanctification of all life, and therefore, the exclusion of everything that carries sin and untruth from life,” the Patriarch said in one of his sermons. Likewise, the Primate of the ROC noted earlier that Saints Cyril and Methodius “not only preached Christ, but together with this sermon they began to create written language, which means the foundation of culture.” “Celebrating the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius, we, of course, look towards the future. We hope that neither temptations, trials, tests, nor new-fashioned ideas that are trying to destroy our national value system, will be able to do this,” His Holiness Patriarch Kirill emphasized. On May 24, the Orthodox Church also celebrates the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. You can f ollow Pravmir.com on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , or Telegram . Code for blog Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Also by this author Today " s Articles Most viewed articles Functionality is temporarily unavailable. Most popular authors Functionality is temporarily unavailable. © 2008-2024 Pravmir.com |
| On the Day of Sts Cyril and Methodius, Primates of the Church of Jerusalem and the Russian Orthodox Church celebrate Divine Liturgy in the Kremlin Church of the Assumption May 24, 2013 On May 24, 2013, the commemoration day of Ss Cyril and Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Teachers of the Slavs (Patriarch Kirill’s name day), and the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Assumption in the Moscow Kremlin. The two patriarchs were assisted by a great assembly of bishops and priests, including representatives of Local Orthodox Church at the Moscow Patriarchate and the delegation accompanying Patriarch Theophilos. Among the congregation were governmental and parliamentary officials as well as leaders of Synodal departments and mothers superior of stauropegial convents. During the Litany of Fervent Supplication, a prayer was lifted up for the health of Patriarch Kirill, after which Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna read a Prayer of Thanksgiving on the Day of Honouring His Holiness the Patriarch. After the liturgy, Patriarch Kirill delivered a homily, saying in particular: ‘Today the Paschal joy is augmented by the festivities in honour of Ss Cyril and Methodius Equal-to-the-Apostles, Teachers of the Slavs. The holy brothers laid the foundation for the spiritual life of the Slavs and handed over to our ancestors the great treasure of the holy Orthodox faith. Gratefulness for the feat performed by the Teachers of the Slavs is invariably kept in our hearts. Every time we celebrate their memory, we remember the sources of our faith and our devotion. Therefore, we cherish in a special way the presence here of living bearers of the spiritual tradition of Byzantium, representatives of Eastern Patriarchates, whom we treat with great respect and love. With the baptism, Russia received from Orthodox Byzantium a new worldview system, in which the Holy Land has always occupied a special place. It is from that land that the liturgical rules and tradition came to us. With the spread of liturgical texts, our ancestors learned to revere the Holy Zion, ‘the Mother of Churches’ and ‘God’s Abode’ (Sunday Canticle, Tone 8). The continuous flow of pilgrims to the holy places was supplemented by a streamlet from northern countries to become with time one of the major sources of prosperity and preservation of the Orthodox holy places in Palestine. |
| Metropolitan Hilarion receives delegation of University of Leuven March 29, 2013 On 29 March 2013, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, rector of the Ss Cyril and Methodius School for Post-Graduate and Doctoral Studies, met with the delegation of the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium). The delegation included Prof. Dr. Lieven Boeve, dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies; Prof. Dr. Johan De Tavernier, vice-dean for international affairs; Prof. Peter De Mei; and deacon Victor Yudin, assistant professor at the St John the Theologian Institute (Leuven). Taking part in the meeting were also Archpriest Vladimir Shmaliy, vice-rector of the Ss Cyril and Methodius School for Post-Graduate and Doctoral Studies, and Hierodeacon Ioann (Kopeikin), assistant to the DECR chairman. Discussed at the meeting was scholarly and educational cooperation between the Ss Cyril and Methodius School for Post-Graduate and Doctoral Studies and the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the University of Leuven, as well as opportunities for students of the Moscow Patriarchate to study at the University of Leuven. Addressing the Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, Metropolitan Hilarion noted that one of the Russian Orthodox Church’s priority tasks was to reduce and even overcome the distance between the Russian and the European theological education. According to Metropolitan Hilarion, programs developed together with the leading European Universities can provide students of the Moscow Patriarchate with high quality theological education that will guarantee that theology will eventually take its rightful place in the Russian education system. The participants in the meeting signed an agreement on cooperation between the Ss Cyril and Methodius School for Post-Graduate and Doctoral Studies and the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the Catholic University of Leuven. |
| Archive Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the commemoration day of Ss Cyril and Methodius 24 May 2018 year 15:17 On 24 May 2018, the commemoration day of Ss Cyril and Methodius Equal-to-the-Apostles and Teachers of the Slavs, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. Celebrated on this day are the Day of Slavonic Literature and Culture and the Nameday of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. Concelebrating with Patriarch Kirill and Patriarch Irinej were Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan, the assembly of the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church including twenty-five metropolitans, as well as representatives of the seven Local Orthodox Churches, abbots of the monasteries and Moscow priests. Among those praying at the service were Metropolitan Nifon, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; hegumenesses of the Russian Orthodox convents; Orthodox pilgrims and Muscovites. The Patriarchal choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and the choir of the brethren of the Laura of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius sang during the service which was broadcast live by ‘Soyuz’ and ‘Spas’ TV channels. Exclamations and petitions at the Liturgy were said in the Church Slavonic, Greek, Serbian and Japanese languages. Petitions for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill who celebrated his Nameday were said at the Litany of Fervent Supplication. Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna said a thanksgiving prayer. After a prayer for peace in Ukraine offered up the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Juvenaly read out the congratulatory address of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill delivered his primatial homily. Addressing His Holiness Patriarch Irinej he expressed his joy over concelebration on the commemoration day of Ss Cyril and Methodius and added: ‘We, as Patriarchs, are called to continue their mission with support of our brother bishops, priests and all the faithful. I wish You God’s aid and blessings to the Serbian people. May the Lord keep our nations in people, love and the unity of mind. May the Lord grant You many and good years of life.” |
| These two brothers were born in Thessa- lonica and came from a family that was part of the highly educated Byzantine elite. Methodios held a high administrative post of an archon in one of the Slav provinces and later became a monk and an abbot on Mount Olympus. Constantine, the younger brother, who excelled as a scholar, held a chair of philosophy at the University of Constantinople during the 850s. He left his academic post and became ordained as a deacon before joining his brother Constantine on Mount Olympus. Upon the request of the Moravian Prince Rostislav, who expressed the need for teachers to explain to the people the tenets of the Christian faith in their own language, Cyril and Methodios embarked on lengthy missionary activity among the Slavic population. Before departing for Moravia in the autumn of 863, the brothers created an alphabet suitable for the Slavonic language. The success of their mission among the Slavic population in Moravia and elsewhere was due to the fact that they were able to communicate in the Slavonic language and provide written Slavonic translations of the Scriptures and of the liturgy that were instrumental in the training of local clergy. They were sent to Moravia with the blessing of the Byzantine patriarch, but they were supported during their activity there mainly by the Latin Church and only to a limited degree. In fact, the two brothers were ordained by the Latin Church in 868, Cyril as a monk and Methodios as an archbishop of Pannonia. After the death of Cyril in 869, the mission to the Moravian people led by Methodios encountered increasing opposition at the hands of Frankish priests and by the Latin-German clergy, which claimed that only three languages were worthy of expressing God’s word, namely Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. In the course of this struggle between the Byzantine and the Frankish clergy, the activity of the two brothers and their disciples was eventually suppressed and marginalized. After the death of Methodios in 885, their disciples were finally driven out of Moravia and forced to cease their missionary activity to the Slavic people in that territory. |
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