Patriarch Irinej of Serbia visits Representation of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Moscow

In the evening of 24 May 2018, His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia visited the Church of Ss. Peter and Paul at Yauza Gates – the Representation of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Moscow. His Holiness was accompanied by Bishop Irinej of Backa; Archimandrite Isihije (Rogic), abbot of the Kovilj Monastery, Bishop elect of Mohac; Deacon Aleksandar Prascevic, head of the Patriarchal Office; and Mr. Dejan Nakic, personal secretary to the Patriarch.

Meeting His Holiness Patriarch Irinej were Bishop Antonije of Moravica and clerics of the church. Among those who arrived at the Representation to greet the high guest were Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis, rector of the Representation of the Orthodox Church of Antioch in Moscow; Bishop Paisy of Schigry and Manturovo; Bishop Andrei of Rossosh and Ostrogozhsk; Bishop Ioann of Domodedovo; Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR vice-chairman; and Archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky), rector of the Representation of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia in Moscow.

Festal Concert on Red Square

After the Holy Liturgy in the Cathedral church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Patriarch Kiril of Moscow and All Russia and Serbian Patriarch Irinej attended the All-Russian festal concert dedicated to the Day of Slavic Literacy and Culture at the Red Square.

The first vice-president of the Government of the Russian Federation Mrs. Olga Golodec emphasized that the celebration of the feast of the Slavonic Enlighteners at the Red Square gatherd more and more peoples from all regions of Russia and from all Slavonic countries. The concert, during the live broadcast, was joined by choirs from Bulgarian and Serbian capitals. The Choir and Symphonic Orchestra of the Radio-Television of Serbia,  conducted by Mr. Bojan Sudzic, performed a song “There, Far Away” (Tamo daleko), which was written after the First World War and dedicated to the soldiers who had not returned from the battle-fields to their homes. This song is very popular in Russia.

Reception on the occasion of the name-day of Patriarch Kirill

On the feast-day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, 24 May 2018, in the solemn hall at the Cathedral church of Christ the Savior in Moscow, a memorable reception was held on the occasion of  the name-day of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

The delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church was headed by Patriarch Irinej, who congratulated the Russian Church Primate the great All-Slavonic feast- day of Saints Cyril and Methodius and expressed his special joy to be able to participate in the event in honour of the heavenly protector of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, St. Kirill.

Moscow: Triumphant Patriarchal Liturgy in Christ the Saviour church

On the feast-day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Serbian and Russian Patriarchs officiated the Divine Liturgy in the church of Christ the Saviour.

On the feast-day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Slavic Enlighteners, 24 May 2018, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Holiness Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch Irinej celebrated the Holy Liturgy in the Cathedral church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow marking the Day of Slavic Literacy and Culture as well as the name-day of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

High award for Patriarch Irinej in Moscow

On 23 May 2018 at the award ceremony of the International Fund for Unity of Orthodox Peoples held in the solemn hall of the Church Assemblies at the church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, His Holiness Irinej was awarded with the high award of the Fund. He also addressed the present with a speech. (photo gallery)

The event was attended by a number of hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church, the members of the Serbian delegation accompanying His Holiness Irinej, representatives of the Serbian, Bulgarian, Czech and Slovak Churches, and the OCA serving in Moscow, and a number of political and public figures.

Pat. Kirill addressed the prize winners with a welcoming speech to open the ceremony, after which the biographies of the 2017 winners, including Pat. Irinej, were presented with supplementary video materials. Then the Serbian primate addressed the audience:

In 2002, during a difficult time for the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people, this award was received by my predecessor, Patriarch Pavle of blessed memory from the hand of the blessed Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow and All Russia. I do not receive this prize as an award intended for me personally, but I see in it, so dear to my heart, a sign of love and attention to all the Serbian people… This is a sign of support for our people and our Church, which is enduring terrible oppression in Kosovo and Metohije and is being forced to defend its age-old rights in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, and which for centuries has brought holy Orthodoxy to the world and remains firm in the faith of our fathers.

His Holiness also addressed the sorrowful situation in Ukraine in which schismatics and nationalists actively work to divide the Ukrainian people against themselves. Echoing the recent statement of the Serbian Holy Synod, the patriarch stated,

The martyred Ukrainian Church—where the holy Prince Vladimir baptized the people of Holy Rus’—is now being defiled by the schismatic’ blasphemy, violence, and bloodshed… The Serbian Church fully supports the unity and integrity of the Russian Orthodox Church and strongly condemns the actions of the Uniates and schismatics who tear apart the robe of Christ at the baptismal font of Kiev, selling their people to the enemies of faith. Their end will be according to their deeds (2 Cor. 11: 15).

The ceremony concluded with a concert put on by various Moscow choirs and orchestras.

Source: Patriarchate of Moscow

Patriarch Kirill meets with Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church

The Primates of the Russian and the Serbian Orthodox Churches had a talk at the Patriarchal working residence in Chisty Pereulok.

His Holiness Irinej, Patriarch of Serbia, who had arrived in Moscow earlier, was accompanied by Bishop Irinej of Backa; abbot of the Kovilj Monastery, Archimandrite Isihije (Rogic) elected Bishop of Mohac; Deacon Alexander Prascevic, head of the Patriarchal office; and Dejan Nakic, the Patriarch’s personal secretary.