« Bishop Matthew of Sourozh concelebrated with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at Great Paschal Vespers at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Moscow »

On April 24, 2022, on the feast of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated Great Paschal Vespers at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.

His Holiness was assisted by Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsa and Kolomna, Patriarchal Head of the Moscow Metropolis;  Metropolitan Dionysius of Voskresensk, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchy, the first vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for the city of Moscow;  Metropolitan Theognost of Kashira, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism; Archbishop Matthew of Yegoryevsk;  Archbishop Aksy of Podolsk and Lyubertsy, Secretary of the Council of Bishops of the Moscow Metropolis;  Bishop Siluan of Pavlovo-Posadsky, Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada;  Bishop Thomas of Odintsovo and Krasnogorsk, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate;  Bishop Thomas of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrovsk, Vicar of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra; Bishop Savva of Zelenograd, Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate; protopresbyter Vladimir Divakov, Secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for the city of Moscow; archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev, Dean of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior; archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate;  archimandrite Alexy (Turikov), personal secretary of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill;  archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR Secretary for Inter-Orthodox Relations;  Priest Dionysius Kazantsev, Secretary of His Holiness the Patriarch for the Moscow Metropolis;  hieromonk Ermogen (Burygin), acting  Chairman of the Financial and Economic Department of the Moscow Patriarchate;  Moscow clergy.

Also participating in the divine service were representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches under the Moscow Patriarchal Throne: Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis (Antioch Orthodox Church); Bishop Anthony of Moravich (Serbian Orthodox Church); archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky) (Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia); archpriest Daniel Andreiuk (Orthodox Church of America).

Chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations of the Church with Society and the Media, acting Head of the Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia V.R. Legoyda, Chairman of the Department for Youth Affairs of the Moscow Diocese, Archpriest Kirill Sladkov, representatives of the Orthodox youth of the capital, clergymen of Moscow and the Moscow region were also praying in the Cathedral.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the Patriarchal Choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (choirmaster - I. B. Tolkachev).

The Patriarchal divine service was broadcasted live at the TV-Centre station, which was commented by A.K. Svetozarsky, Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy. The divine service was also broadcast live on Soyuz and Spas TV channels.  With the technical support of the Spas TV channel, the Patriarchal divine service was broadcast on the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarchia.ru.

According to tradition, an old altar Gospel from the time of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, handed over by the will of the ever-memorable Metropolitan Pitirim (Nechaev) from the Joseph-Volotsk Monastery, as a gift to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior for especially solemn festive services, was brought to the Great Vespers.  The Gospel is brought out only twice a year: at Great Vespers on the day of the feast of the Nativity of Christ and at Great Paschal Vespers.

At the end of Paschal Vespers, Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsk and Kolomna, on behalf of the Holy Synod, the participants in the divine service and the entire Russian Orthodox Church, congratulated His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the bright feast of Pascha.  Addressing His Holiness, Metropolitan Pavel said:

“Your Holiness, Most Holy Master and gracious Father!  On this Easter evening, bless to congratulate you with Easter from the fullness of the Russian Orthodox Church - on behalf of the episcopate, clergy, believers and all who have gathered in this wonderful Cathedral of Christ the Savior.  We greet you with the words of Paschal joy: Christ is Risen!

This evening, Your Holiness, I would like to wish you that the grace of the Holy Spirit, which is so abundantly supplied from the Resurrected Christ the Savior, will always inspire you in your Patriarchal ministry.  I would like to wish that you could constantly preache about the Resurrection of Christ, teach us, and we, listening to your words of edification, were inspired and strengthened in faith, hope and love.  You are a vivid example for us to follow - an example of serving the Church, serving God and people.  I would like to wish that the Paschal joy that comes from the Resurrected Christ the Savior always abides in your heart and in your mind and could be transmitted to all the children of our Holy Church.  I would like to wish you, Your Holiness, good health, fortitude and many years to Your Holiness!”

Metropolitan Pavel presented His Holiness with an Easter egg and a bouquet of red roses.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill was also congratulated by representatives of the Orthodox youth.  Welcoming words were delivered by Kirill Ershov and Maria Kramarchenkova, active members of the Capital Generation youth association operating at the Church of St. Nicholas of Myra in Pokrovsky, Moscow.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the participants of the divine service with the primatial word.

Then His Holiness Patriarch Kirill received Easter congratulations from the bishops, abbesses of women's monasteries and clerics.

Also, His Holiness met with children from the Patriarchal Volunteers (from Family Volunteering movement).

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