On the eleventh anniversary of the intronization of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh co-celebrated the Divine Liturgy with the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

On February 1, 2020, on the eleventh anniversary of the intronization of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, interim Administrator of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA and Canada, co-cerved with the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow.

Liturgical chants were sung by the choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (Choirmaster I.B. Tolkachev) and the choir of the Holy Trinity – St.Sergius Lavra (Choirmaster Archimandrite Gleb (Kozhevnikov).

TV channels “Soyuz” and “Spas” broadcasted live the Patriarchal service.

At the Augmented litany, petitions were raised for the unity of the Orthodox Church and the preservation of the Church from divisions and schisms.

The Augmented litany also included special petitions for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Russian Church, headed by him.

After the Augmented litany, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsa and Kolomna offered a prayer for the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church – His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

The Primate of the Russian Church prayed for peace in Ukraine.

The sermon before the Holy Communion was delivered by the Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate, Bishop Savva of Zelenogradsk.

At the end of the Liturgy, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry announced the congratulatory address to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on behalf of the members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and presented His Holiness with a mantle and a bouquet of flowers.

I.O. Schegolev, plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Central Federal District, has also congratulated the Most Holy Vladyka.

The Primate of the Russian Church addressed those present with his First-Hierarchical word.

At the end of the service, Vladyka Matthew, on behalf of the clergy and laity of the Diocese of Sourozh, presented the Holy Patriarch with the icon of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, patron saint of Scotland.

www.sourozh.org