Patriarch Kirill writes special prayer for Victory Day

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia wrote a special prayer for clerics and Orthodox believers to read on the Victory Day. "I bless that from this year on all parishes of the Russian Church conduct a festival prayer service on the Victory Day to commemorate the escape of our people from the horrific deadly enemy, from danger our Motherland had never known in its history," Patriarch Kirill said after a Divine Liturgy in St. George Church at Poklonnaya Gora.

The Patriarch said he wrote a prayer especially for this service and its text is based on St. Philaret's of Moscow prayer dedicated to the victory of Russian army over Napoleon in 1812.

The Primate told he had rewritten the text of and felt the core of St. Philaret's prayer. According to the Patriarch, then the whole Russian Church considered Napoleon's invasion as "punishment for the sin" of the entire nation.

Patriarch Kirill reminded that exactly a year ago he urged to consider the victory in the Great Patriotic war as God's mercy after the great trial given to people for their sins. He said "reaction of secular press surprised" him as many journalists criticized the thesis. However, the Patriarch believes, "if we neglect spiritual and religious dimension of the Victory, it will be a blasphemy before God."

The Primate urged to remember that "God's will participated" in the victory in the Great Patriotic War. According to him, the war itself was a trial God sends people "out of His mercy" to save them "from major torments."

"This trial should be considered a gift of Divine love, not to grumble, but to bend down before God in repentance. In response, the Lord will work miracles as he once miraculously saved Moscow and liberated our country and the whole Europe," Patriarch Kirill said.

Source: Interfax religion