| Metropolitan Hilarion Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of His Episcopal Consecration Source: DECR Photo: mospat.ru January the 14th, 2022, the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and the commemoration day of St. Basil the Great, marked the 20th anniversary of the episcopal consecration of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. The Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate presided over the festive Divine Liturgy at the church of the Icon of the Mother of God ‘the Joy to All Who Sorrow’ in Moscow. His concelebrants were Metropolitan Dionisy of Voskresensk, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Metropolitan Zinovy of Saransk and Mordovia; Metropolitan Anthony of Chersonesus and Western Europe, Patriarchal Exarch for Western Europe; Metropolitan Leonid of Klin, Patriarchal Exarch for Africa; Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, DECR vice-chairman; Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), DECR vice-chairman; Archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky), representative of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia to the Patriarchal See of Moscow; Archpriest Kakhaber Gogotishvili, a cleric of the Georgian Orthodox Church; and the clergy of the church. During the Prayer of Fervent Supplication, prayerful petitions were offered for the deliverance from the coronavirus infection. After the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Dionisy of Voskresensk read out a congratulatory message from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Metropolitan Hilarion’s episcopal consecration. Then Metropolitan Niphon of Philipoppolis extended congratulations to His Eminence Hilarion on behalf of the representatives of Local Orthodox Church to the Patriarchal See of Moscow. He noted in particular, “In your youth you were given the gift of faith in God. Through the subsequent years, you have lived up to this faith, developing it and bearing in yourself the flame of love for neighbours. In ascending the stairs of the service of the Holy Church and accumulating knowledge and experience in carrying out various tasks, you have discovered how rich the Lord is in His mercy to us in His great love wherewith He loved us (Eph. 2:4). |
| On 19 October 2014, when the Orthodox Church honours the memory of the Holy Apostle Thomas who, according to the church tradition, was the first to preach the Gospel in the Celestial Empire, the 5th anniversary of the restoration and consecration of the Church of the Dormition was celebrated in the capital of China, in the territory of the Russian Embassy. The place where the church stands today used to belong to the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in China which contributed to the development of Russia-China relations for over 250 years. On October 17, Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate, arrived in Beijing to take part in the celebrations upon the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Accompanying the archpastor was Mr. Dmitry Petrovsky, a staff member of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations. Mr. Yevgeny Tomikhin, Minister Counselor of the Russian Embassy in China, met Bishop Sergiy at the Beijing airport. On October 18, Bishop Sergiy, Mr. Yevgeny Tomikhin and the clergymen who had arrived in Beijing to take part in the celebrations attended the opening of an exhibition on the Contemporary History of the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in Beijing. On October 19, Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk officiated at the Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Dormition. Concelebrating with the archpastor were priest Sergiy Voronin, rector of the Church of the Dormition; archpriest Andrei Stepanov, rector of the Church of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem in Irkutsk; archpriest Alexei Kiselevich, rector of the Orthodox community in Shanghai; archpriest Dionisy Pozdnyaev, rector of the Parish of Ss Peter and Paul in Hong Kong; and Hierodeacon Yuvenaly (Lapshin), a cleric of the Moscow Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Ostankino. During the service, Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk presented the Patriarchal awards to those who had helped to restore the Church of the Dormition and contributed to the development of parish life in Beijing. |
| I. The epiclesis – a rule of faith? The problem of the epiclesis, its meaning, and its importance – or, alternatively, expendability – for the consecration of bread and wine during a Eucharistic prayer has long been a highly polemical issue 1 . Despite their differences, scholars and theologians have often taken for granted that it was the Byzantine Church that always believed in a consecratory power of the epiclesis. Indeed, from the fourth century on (i.e., from the very starting point of the development of the Byzantine liturgy), the Byzantine Eucharistic prayers contained explicit epicleses with strong consecratory statements. In this article I will demonstrate, however, that, while the Byzantines undoubtedly were very concerned about the epiclesis recited during their Eucharistic liturgy 2 , its mere existence did not always signify the importance it is ascribed in late- and post-Byzantine theological literature. For the Byzantines often pointed to some other elements of the rite as «consecratory», and were in nowise strangers to the idea of a Eucharistic consecration independent of an epiclesis. II. The Origins of the Epiclesis II.1. A Brief Overview The origins of the epiclesis are obscure and much debated. The earliest extant eucharistic prayers from the Didache contain no explicit epicletic petition 3 (though some scholars identify the acclamation «Maranatha» from Did. 10.6 with a proto-epiclesis 4 ). In pre-Nicaean Christian liturgical usage the words πικαλεν/πικαλεσθαι and πκλησις, as has been demonstrated 5 , referred more to «naming/applying the name» than to «calling forth in prayer» 6 . It is, therefore, tempting to suggest that the epiclesis in its later sense of «a call to God/Spirit/Logos to come and show/sanctify the bread and wine» is a result of the development of the early epicletic «naming the divine Name» formulae. This possibility comes to light when one compares Origen " s commentary on 1Corinthians 7:5, where he describes the Eucharistic bread as the one «over which the Name of God and of Christ and of the Holy Spirit has been invoked» (FragmCor 34) 7 , with a baptismal and a Eucharistic prayer from Acta Thomae: |
| Archive Consecration of restored Orthodox churches in Arbin and Az-Zabadani 23 January 2023 year 10:55 On January 22, 2023, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, took part in the Sunday Divine Liturgy at the Church of Great Martyr George the Conqueror in Arbin, Syria. This church was seriously damaged because of military actions near the Syrian capital during an active stage of clashes with militants. Recently the restoration work in it carried out at the expense of the Russian Federation and with the support of the Russian Orthodox Church has been completed. Before the Liturgy, the restored church was consecrated by His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Great Antioch and All the East and Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk. His Beatitude’s concelebrants included Metropolitan Anthony, hierarchs of the Orthodox Church of Antioch - Metropolitan Ephraim of Aleppo and Alexandretta, Metropolitan Nicholas of Hama, Bishop Moses of Dara, Bishop John of Sergiopolis, Bishop Arsenios of Hierapolis, the clergy of the Patriarchate of Antioch, as well as Metropolitan Anthony’s retinue including Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, adviser to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR vice-chairman; and Archimandrite Philipp (Vasiltsev), representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. Worshipping in the sanctuary were Bishop Moses of Larissa and Bishop Roman of Seleucia. Among the worshipers in the church were Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia in Syria A. V. Yefimov; Commander of the Russian Federation Armed Forces Group in the Syrian Arab Republic Colonel-General A. N. Serdyukov, Executive Director of the Foundation for Support of Christian Culture and Heritage Ye. Skopenko, and representatives of local authorities. The service was held in Arabic and Church Slavonic. In his Primatial homily, His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch congratulated those present on the restoration and re-consecration of the Church of Great Martyr George the Conqueror in Arbin. ‘We know this city very well. Living in it are people of Christian and Moslem communities, and they all deserve to live a life in goodness and dignity and to meet their spiritual needs’ His Beatitude stressed, ‘Today we thank the Lord for the opportunity to see, after all that happened here, how many buildings were destroyed in Arbin, that we, both Christians and Muslims have assembled in this church where the first Liturgy after the restoration has been celebrated’. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Church for Russian Orthodox community consecrated in Lebanon DECR Communication Service, 10/03/2024 On 10 th March 2024, while in Lebanon, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, DECR chairman, took part in the celebrations marking the lesser consecration of the Holy Annunciation Church in Jal El Dib, provided by Metropolitan Silouan of Byblos, Botris and Dependencies (Mount Lebanon) for the use of the Russian-speaking Orthodox Christians in Lebanon. Metropolitan Anthony officiated at the consecration that was followed by the Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Russian hierarch together with Metropolitan Silouan of Mount Lebanon and Metropolitan Nifon of Philippopolis, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Among other concelebrants were Archimandrite Philip (Vasiltsev), representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’ to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, rector of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Metochion in Beirut; Archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky), rector of the Moscow Metochion of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR deputy chairman; and clergy of the Patriarchates of Antioch and Moscow. The Liturgy was celebrated in the Arabic and Church Slavonic languages. Attending the divine service were Mr Alexander Rudakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Lebanon; Mr R. El Khoury of the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr Yegor Skopenko, executive director of the Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage; Lebanese politicians and public figures, and Russian citizens residing in Lebanon. After the Liturgy, Metropolitan Silouan of Mount Lebanon greeted all those present. In his speech, he pointed out that the restoration of the Holy Annunciation Church in Jal El Dib had been a matter of particular concern for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, who had taken upon himself the task of getting the work completed. Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, and Metropolitan Nifon of Philippopolis had also made their contribution, facilitating the restoration works, Metropolitan Silouan noted. |
| Patriarch Kirill: “Being a Clergyman Today Means Scaling the Most Difficult and Greatest Heights” Source: Original in Russian October 26, 2014. His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, presided over the Great Consecration of a church in honor of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian on the premises of the Saratov Theological Seminary and celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the newly consecrated church on October 26, 2014. Following the divine services, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church delivered the following sermon: Your Eminences and Your Graces! Very Reverend Vladyka Longin! Your Excellency! Special Representatives of the authorities; dear Vladykas, Fathers, Brothers and Sisters; the seminary’s chairmen, teachers, and students! I would like to congratulate you on a significant event: the consecration of a church in honor of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian on the premises of the Saratov Theological Seminary. My heart was warmed extraordinarily when I walked inside this church, the walls of which reminded me of the church in honor of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian on the premises of St. Petersburg Theological Seminary. These churches are very alike in their interior, style, and decoration; and I remembered those difficult years of our Church’s life, during which I was called to be Rector of the Leningrad theological institutions. Looking at the restored seminary in the center of Saratov, at this marvelous church, I believe that our actions in difficult times and our humble efforts, together with the prayers of millions of people, who are looking forward to the restoration of the Church, have resulted in considerable changes in the life of both the people and the Church. First of all, these are prayerful efforts of the Martyrs and Confessors. Today we venerated the name of St. Thaddeus of Tver during our prayer, a person of holy life, who was severely tortured for the faith. These are the prayers of those who preserved their faith in the Lord under the harshest of conditions, and then of those who put constant effort into bringing different times closer. At the present time, all of this has been implemented, when we see the opening of churches, monasteries, and theological institutions, and when we have the great joy of consecrating these magnificent buildings, showing our heartfelt gratitude to those who put their energy, offered their prayer, and helped financially in fulfilling this noble cause. |
| On Sunday 6th December 2015 His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa conducted the ordination of His Grace Athanasios Bishop of Kisumu and West Kenya, at the Holy Patriarchal Church of St Nicholas in Cairo. On the evening before, he officiated at Great Vespers at the celebrating Patriarchal Church of St Nicholas and then the Great Messages of the recently elected Bishops of Mozambique Chrysostomos, Nieri and Mount Kenya Neofytos and Kisumu and West Kenya Athanasios. At the Eucharistic gathering on the feast day, as well as at the ordination of His Grace, His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Gabriel of Leontopolis, Patriarchal Vicar General, His Eminence Makarios Metropolitan of Nairobi, His Eminence Alexandros Metropolitan of Nigeria, His Eminence Nicholas of Ermopolis, His Eminence Nikodimos of Memphis, Patriarchal Vicar of Cairo, His Eminence Niphon Metropolitan of Pilousion, Abbot of the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of St. George in Cairo, His Eminence Metropolitan Ioannis of Zambia, and their Graces Chrysostomos Bishop of Mozambique and Neofytos of Nieri also participated. Many faithful came to the church for the celebrations from both the Greek and Arabic communities of the Egyptian capital. In his address, with deep emotion, His Beatitude said: Your Grace, elected Bishop Athanasios of Kisumu and West Kenya and beloved brother in the Lord, “My you be strengthened with all power giving thanks to the father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:11-12). The hour of Missions in the vast and great country of Kenya “has indeed come.” The fullness of time has arrived, the time of sowing has come as has the time of reaping. At this sacred moment of your ordination as bishop, I wish to stand paternally opposite you and in a spirit of love and advice, to weave into your thoughts my expectations and visions for you, my beloved son Fr. Athanasios. Firstly I want to say to you that the theology of our Church is not only produced through the university desks and the amphitheatres of the theological faculties. The theology of our Church is not a double-headed theology. It is not academic. It does not begin and end in libraries and university laboratories. The theology of our Church begins at the Holy Altar! That is the greatest theological Table which produces the one theology – the theology of the Immaculate Lamb. On the Holy Altar is the sacrificial lamb. It is the broken, divided and never expended Christ. He is the centre “of the entire Church.” He is the lighting strength, the source of sanctity, from which all of creation, strengthened both in logic and intellect sends up the eternal doxology. |
| Archive In conclusion of his visit to Strasbourg Patriarch Kirill answered questions from journalists 27 May 2019 year 22:14 On May 27, 2019, His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, completed his visit to Strasbourg, France. At the airport, His Holiness was seen off by Metropolitan Ioann of Chersonese and Western Europe, Russian ambassador to France A. Meshkov, Russian permanent representative to the Council of Europe I. Soltanovsky, Russia’s consul general in Strasbourg Yu. Solovyov, Moscow Patriarchate representative to the Council of Europe and rector of the Parish of All Saints in Strasbourg Archimandrite Philip (Riabykh). Before the departure, the Primate of the Russian Church answered questions from mass media reporters: – Why is it so important to open an Orthodox church in Strasbourg, which is called the European capital city? – In opening new churches, we, first of all, respond to people’s wish, for it is impossible to build a church in a place in which there are no believers. For this reason, the opening of a church in Strasbourg is our response to the numerous requests of the Orthodox people, including Russians, Ukrainians – those who reside in Strasbourg and those who often come to this city. The consecration of the church in the presence of a great number of people was a visible testimony of the fact that they need this church. I would like to thank the city authorities, the Catholic Archbishop of Strasbourg, the public who have supported the idea of building a Russian Orthodox church. The construction was carried out in a benevolent and good setting. And, of course, the consecration of this church and a prayer together with Strasbourg townsfolk became an important event for me. – What were you talking about during your meeting with the Council of Europe general secretary? Did you discuss the future of the relations between Russia and the Council of Europe? – Today, there was a positive and substantial talk [with the Council of Europe Secretary General Mr. Thorbjørn Jagland]. We discussed many issues including the participation of Russia in the Council of Europe. In the attitude of the secretary general I saw nothing that could prevent Russia from resuming her participation in the work of this organization. I do not want to go into details of this topic, for it lies in the political sphere. I try to avoid making comments of this kind. But I very much hope that Russia will take her place in the Council of Europe, will continue cooperation with it because the decisions of this organization are important also for ordinary people living in Europe. Besides, it is a remarkable platform for broad and diverse dialogue between representative of Russia and the Council of Europe. I hope that everything will return to its course and this page of misunderstanding will be turned over. |
| From June 27 to July 4, 2014, the 13th All-Diaspora Russian Orthodox Youth Conference was held in the city of San Francisco, CA. It ran concurrently with a great spiritual event in the Russian diaspora—the 20th anniversary of the glorification of St John of Shanghai and San Francisco the Miracle-worker, as well as a regular session of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Photo: www.synod.com The conference, held under the aegis of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God “of the Sign,” included youth from 11 countries. The forum included lectures, discussions and workshops. Resulting was the development of the following planned projects: a social database, a Russian youth camp, an Orthodox theater, a festival of Orthodox youth, a youth club dedicated to St John of Shanghai and San Francisco, a tutorial center for Orthodox youth, a center for moral and informational support, and Orthodox cafe, and service in support of sick children in orphanages. Lying at the foundation of these programs are love for one’s neighbor and the desire for Orthodox Christian youth to help and support people in various ways. The projects were presented to a wide audience which included the conferees as well as hierarchs and clergymen of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The conference members visited soup kitchens for the needy and homeless, a senior home and the chapel of St John of Kronstadt. The aim of these visits was to study the experience of organizing such institutions. The young people participated in the 20th-anniversary celebrations of the canonization of St John, the preacher and teacher of love and mercy, during which the episcopal consecration of Archimandrite Nicholas (Olhovsky), the caretaker of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God, as Bishop of Manhattan. The main conclusion of the conference participants was the need to unite Orthodox youth around the idea of charity and mercy. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Moscow Patriarchate representatives attend festivities of the Assyrian Church of the East in Iraq DECR Communication Service, 14.08.2023 . Celebration of the opening and consecration of the new Patriarchal Cathedral dedicated to the Holy Apostles Thomas, Thaddeus and Mari and the opening of the Patriarchal Headquarters took place in Ankawa, Erbil’s Christian district, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on August 4-8, 2023. On those same dates, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq hosted the 1 st World Assyrian Church Youth Conference with several hundred participants having gathered here from all over the world. Attending the festivities at the invitation of His Holiness Mar Awa III, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, and with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ were Archimandrite Philip (Vasiltsev), representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarch of Antioch; deacon Yevgeny Yesaulenko of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs; and Mr. Sergei G. Alferov, a staff member of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations and a member of the Commission for Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Assyrian Church of the East. On August 5, the delegation from Russia attended the inauguration of the Patriarchal Headquarters. Presiding over the ceremony were His Holiness Patriarch-Catholicos Mar Awa III and Mr. Nechirvan Barzini, the President of the Kurdistan Region. Present were members of the Synod and numerous clerics of the Assyrian Church of the East from all over the world; representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government and of General Consulates of foreign countries in Erbil; delegates from traditional Christian confessions and Muslim communities in northern Iraq, as well as from international Catholic organizations, namely the Community of Sant’Egidio and Pro Oriente Foundation. |
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