MOSCOW: November 21, 2016
Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany Represents the Russian Church Abroad at the 70th-Birthday Celebrations of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

On November 20, 2016, the 22nd Sunday of Pentecost, Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral was the site of the celebration of the 70th birthday of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. His Holiness celebrated Divine Liturgy with the primates and other clergymen of the Local Orthodox Churches.

Participating in the services were His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa; His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and All Palestine; His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II; His Holiness Patriach Irinej of Serbia; His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus; His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and Albania; His Beatitude Metropolitan Savva of Warsaw and All Poland; His Beatitude Metropolitan Rostislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and His Beatitude Archbishop Tikhon of Washington and All America.

Also participating were His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France (Constantinople Patriarchate); His Eminence Metropolitan Nifon of Targoviste (Romanian Orthodox Church); His Eminence Metropolitan Antony of Western and Central Europe (Bulgarian Orthodox Church); His Eminence Metropolitan Ignatius of Dimitrias (Greek Orthodox Church); His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine; His Eminence Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsa and Kolomna; His Metropolitan Vladimir of Kishinev and All Moldavia; His Eminence Metropolitan Alexander of Astanai and Kazakhstan; His Eminence Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan; His Eminence Metropolitan Varsonofy of St Petersburg and Ladoga; His Eminence Metropolitan Pavel, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; His Eminence Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk, and His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany, Vice President of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

A multitude of other hierarchs and clergymen also served, with a large gathering of government and social figures and worshipers.

The Patriarchal Choir sang under the direction of IB Tolkachev; the Choir of St Sergius-Holy Trinity Monastery under Archimandrite Gleb (Kozhevnikov); the Children’s Choir of the Schools of Moscow under Varvara Volkova.

The service was live-streamed on Spas news agency as well as Soyuz, Tsargrad and Patriarchia.ru.

During the minor entrance, His Eminence Archbishop Innokenty of Vilnius and Lithuania was elevated to the rank of metropolitan in recognition of his 25 years of archpastoral service. Other episcopal consecrations were also performed.

A special prayer was intoned during the augmented litany for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. Afterwards, His Holiness read a prayer for peace in Ukraine. Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine read a prayer for the Russian Patriarch.

After Liturgy, Metroplitan Onouphry read a congratulatory message on behalf of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian Patriarch was then awarded the highest award of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Order of Holy Apostle Andrei the First-Called.

His Holiness was then congratulated by VV Volodin, President of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, on behalf of the Russian Government and President Vladimir Putin.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill then delivered a sermon.

Patriarchia.ru