As was reported, on February 1^st, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill invited Vladimir Putin to meet with religious leaders and discuss socio-political life in the country.

The Prime Minister delivered an opening address. He was followed by the Patriarch.

Taking part in the meeting were Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Archbishop Yevgeniy of Vereya, chairman of the Education Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church; archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church-State Relations; Vladimir Legoida, chairman of the Synodal Information Department; Pandido Hambo Lama Damba Ayuseyev, head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia; Mufti Ismail Berdiev, chairman of the Coordination Centre of Muslims of the North Caucasus; Alexander Boroda, chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia; Mufti Ravil Gainutdin, chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia; Bishop Ezras Nersesian, head of the Novo-Nakhichevan and Russian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church; Rev. Igor Kowalewski, general secretary of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Russia; Metropolitan Korniliy of Moscow and All Russia, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church; Berel Lazar, chief rabbi of Russia (Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia); Mufti Muhammad Rakhimov, chairman of the Russian Association of Islamic Accord, chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Stavropol Territory; Sergey Ryakhovsly, chairman of the Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith; Vasiliy Stolyar, vice-president of the Euro-Asia division of the Seventh Day Adventist Church; Mufti Talgat Tajuddin, chairman of the Central Spiritual Board of Muslims of Russia; Mufti Ildus Hazrat Faizov, chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna spoke about the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia celebrated on February 5^th. He noted that nowadays the Church lives in the real religious freedom.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk thanked Vladimir Putin for attention to the life of compatriots abroad and to parishes of the Russian Orthodox abroad that play an important part in consolidating people who have come there from Russia.

“One of the major tasks of our Church is “the gathering of Holy Russia”, as His Holiness put it. It is not fortuitous that he often visits Ukraine and other countries of near abroad. We understand that the stronger Russia is, the more attractive it is for its neighbours, and we appreciate any success in Russia’s rapprochement with these countries,” the DECR chairman said.

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin thinks that interconnection between social processes and religious life is becoming more effective. “Many religious believers with strong civic motivation need support… in upbringing the true young patriots able to take an active part on social life.”

Vladimir Legoida proposed to invite representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and other traditional religious communities to the elaboration of a concept of public TV.  Prime Minister Putin remarked that the involvement of religious organizations and of the Russian Orthodox Church in the first place, in establishing public TV, is increasingly in demand.

Religious leaders who took the floor highly appreciated the role that the Russian Orthodox Church plays in different social and educational projects and noted the importance of joint initiatives of religious associations under the auspices of the Moscow Patriarchate.

In conclusion of the meeting His Holiness Patriarch Kirill thanked Vladimir Putin and expressed his appreciation of the seriousness of discussion during which opinions were exchanged on the high level of accord on the development of spiritual, ethical, cultural, educational and other most important spheres of life of our state.”

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Archbishop Sigitas Tamkevičius of Kaunas, president of the Lithuanian Episcopal Conference; and G. Demidov, representative of the Department for Religious Education and Catechization of the Russian Orthodox Church answered questions of the journalists.

Metropolitan Hilarion greeted representatives of mass media who came to the press conference given on the occasion of the completion of the 2^nd talks between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church of Lithuania on current problems in teaching religion in the secular school.

The DECR chairman noted substantial progress in the matter: on 28 January 2012, the Government decreed that the teaching of “The Basics of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics” will be compulsory for all schools. “We consider this as a very important move,” he said.

Archbishop Tamkevičius said that religion was taught in all schools in Lithuania. The Government pays for one lesson in a week, whereas the Church pays for more lessons in private schools. The teachers are trained at three universities, mostly at the faculty of theology in Kaunas.  Priests and laymen are given the right to teach religion in Lithuania.

G. Demidov noted certain difficulties in the freedom of choice, training of teachers and methodology.

Metropolitan Hilarion believes that the number of religious lessons in Russian schools is not sufficient. “We welcome the first step, but we will work for increasing this number. I am sure that religious lessons once a week during all school years interest children in Lithuania.”

Metropolitan Hilarion spoke of his experience of teaching religion in a Russian school near the Kaunas cathedral in which he served in the early 90s. He gave a “trial” lesson, bur children took a lively interest in the subject, and the future DECR chairman taught religion three days a week in all grades. “Teachers from another school asked me to teach their children, and I understood that I was becoming a school teacher rather than rector of the cathedral church. I gathered the most capable parishioners, taught them, and they began to teach religious lessons to many children in some Russian schools.”

This experience shows that the teaching of religion to children in all grades is “topical and important.” Religion will be taught in the fourth grade, but “I believe that the first-form boys and girls and senior school students should learn about religion,” Metropolitan Hilarion said. He hopes to continue dialogue with the state on a possibility of teaching “The Basics of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics” in all grades.

Archbishop Tamkevičius spoke of the results of teaching religious subjects in Lithuanian schools. While the number of parishioners in the country is the same, their “quality” improves. One can see much more young people in churches. Besides, confessions show that young people are even wiser that those advanced in years.

The hierarch underscored that the Lithuanian model of the separation of the Church from the State differs from the Russian and French ones. “The Church and the State do not interfere in each other’s affairs, but they both care for people. Some 80% of the citizens of Lithuania are Catholics, and it goes without saying that the State should help them live out of their motives and convictions,” he said.

Metropolitan Hilarion told the journalists that in 1983 Archbishop Tamkevičius (then a priest) was a prisoner of conscience. He was arrested and tried on charges of anti-Soviet propaganda and spent several years in camps. Another Catholic priest from Lithuania was imprisoned several times for the same “crime”: he told children about religion. Metropolitan Hilarion reminded the audience that the teaching of religion was never interrupted in Lithuania: in Soviet time it was done in parishes.

Archbishop Tamkevičius called the years of his imprisonment “the gift of God.” He said that prisons had been the second theological seminary for me. “All subjects are theoretical in seminary, while in a prison a Christian can practice his faith,” he added.

Answering the question about relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in Lithuania, Archbishop Tamkevičius called them very good.

The talks were a follow-up of the Symposium on Christians in Face of the Challenge to the Institution of Family organized in January 2011 in Kaunas by the Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference with the participation of the Russian Orthodox Church.

In his report, Metropolitan Hilarion underscored the importance of developing dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in Lithuania as it makes it possible to discuss together pressing problems of today’s society and to find ways of inter-church cooperation in this area. The teaching of religion in the secular school is one of the most pressing problems for both Churches as it directly concerns the problem of preserving Christian identity in Europe today. Speaking about the situation in Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion noted that in the process of consultations with governmental bodies and public organizations and considering the experience gained in other countries, a conclusion was made about the need to re-qualify the subject of religion as inter-disciplinary and culturological. In Russian society, debates continue between proponents of the separate and optional teaching of religious culture in the secondary school and opponents of such teaching. By the Russian Federation Government Decree of January 28, 2012, the teaching of this subject as compulsory for all general education schools of the country will be introduced from the 2012/2013 academic year.

Metropolitan Hilarion expressed the conviction that the real fruits and positive results of the teaching of religious culture and ethics in the secular school will become noticeable after a few years when passions will subside and the society will come to appreciate the positive pedagogical effect of religious education in the task of preserving the national identity and improving the moral climate in Russian society.

The representative of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Department for Religious Education and Catechism in his report on ‘Cooperation between church and state educational structures in teaching Basic Orthodox Culture in school’ introduced the participants to the implementation of this project in various regions of the Russian Federation.

In his remarks, Archbishop Sigitas Tamkjavichus presented the situation with regard to the teaching of religious disciplines in secular schools. The president of the Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference informed the participants that in Lithuania there is no state religion but the traditional religious organizations are given the right to teach religion in general education schools and this teaching is financed by the state. The religious and moral education of children is an inalienable constitutional right of Lithuanian citizens. The development of curricular and text-books on religious disciplines as well as the training and certification of teachers belong to the competence of the Church’s authorities. The archbishop stressed that the principle of separation of the Church from the state does not prevent them from cooperation including in the area of education, for the benefit of all citizens.

In the course of the talks, the sides expressed a shared conviction that students of general education public schools have the right to receive valid knowledge about religion, which does not contradict the principle of the secular nature of education. For the younger generation, it is important to have a valid knowledge of both its own religious tradition and the basics of other religions. It is a necessary element of the moral and spiritual education of the personality.

The experience accumulated in recent years in Russia and Lithuania shows that the teaching of religious disciplines in the secular school does not at all generate inter-religious conflicts but, on the contrary, helps to consolidate the inter-confessional peace and accord in society.

The participants in the 2^nd talks between representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in Lithuania underscored the importance of continued bilateral dialogue and regular meetings on particular issues.

The theme of the 2^nd talks was ‘Current problems in teaching religion in the secular school’.

From the Russian Orthodox Church, key reports were made by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the department for external church relations, and G. Demidov, head of the Basic Orthodox Culture section of the department for religious education and catechism. The Roman Catholic Church in Lithuania was represented by Archbishop Sigitas Tamkjavichus of Kaunas, president of the Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference, and Bishop Jonas Ivanauskas, Vicar General of Kaunas.

In his report, Metropolitan Hilarion underscored the importance of joint discussions on the pressing problems of the society today and possible ways of inter-church cooperation in this area. Thus, the theme of teaching religion in the secular school is one of the most pressing for both Churches as it directly concerns the problem of preservation of Christian identity in Europe today. The Orthodox hierarch was convinced that in a few years’ time when passions raised by the debate on this issue subsided in Russia, the society would come to appreciate the positive pedagogic effect of religious education in the task of preserving national identity and improving the moral climate in Russian society.

Mr. Demidov, in his report, spoke about the cooperation maintained by church and state educational structures in teaching the Basic Orthodox Culture in school.

Archbishop Sigitas Tamkjavichus spoke about the practice of teaching religious disciplines in Lithuanian secular schools. He stressed that the religious and moral education of children is an inalienable constitutional right of Lithuanian citizens. Therefore, the traditional religious organizations are given the right to teach religion in general education schools and this teaching is financed by the state.

The participants in the talks stated that the implementation of the rights of schoolchildren in general education public schools to receive knowledge about religion does not contradict the principle of the secular nature of education. A study of both children’s own religious tradition and basics of other religions constitutes a necessary element of moral and spiritual education of the personality and helps to consolidate inter-confessional peace and accord in society.

The participants pointed out the importance of continued bilateral dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in Lithuania and regular meetings on specific issues.

The meeting summed up their discussion in a communique.

DECR Communication Service

On February 7, 2012, the commemoration day of St. Gregory the Theologian, the Charity of St. Gregory the Theologian, with the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, established five scholarships for citizens from the far-abroad countries who come to study at the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church Post-Graduate and Doctoral School and other educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Scholarships will be granted at the direction of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. They will include pocket money to be handed over to students. Among the first scholarship holders will be a deacon of the Romanian Orthodox Church and a layman from the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

***

The St. Gregory the Theologian Charity was established in August 2009 with the participation of Archbishop (now Metropolitan) Hilarion of Volokolamsk. Among the primary tasks of the charity is to realise educational projects, to develop religious education and ecclesiastical scholarship, especially to organize and run a Church Post-Graduate and Doctoral School, and to support the work of educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church. Along with it, the charity plans to realize large-scale projects in the area of culture to help preserve Russia’s cultural, historical and spiritual heritage.

DECR Communication Service

The talk, which was held in a friendly atmosphere, concerned various aspects of cooperation between the Moscow Patriarchate and Cuba. Metropolitan Hilarion expressed satisfaction with the fact that despite some difficulties the historical thread of relations between the Russian and the Cuban peoples was not broken. The DECR chairman pointed to the importance of cultural exchange between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Republic of Cuba, in which the Days of Russian Culture held in October 2008 in Cuba became one of the major events.

His Excellency Juan Valdes Figueroa, on his part, stressed that the Cuban leaders sought to develop relations with the Moscow Patriarchate. The diplomat conveyed to Metropolitan Hilarion a congratulatory message sent by Chairman of the State Council and Council of Minister Raul Castro to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on the occasion of His Holiness’s 65^th birthday.

In conclusion, the DECR chairman presented his high guests with some tokens of the meeting.

DECR Communication Service

In his introductory remarks, His Holiness presented the agenda of the meeting.

The Council, which is meeting at the Supreme Church Council Hall at the cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour, will consider the progress made in implementation of the Council’s earlier decisions. The leaders of the synodal departments will report on the work plans of their structures for 2012. As Patriarch Kirill has reported, the plans and reports of synodal departments, which used to be considered by the Holy Synod, will now be put on the agenda of the Supreme Church Council.

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the Synodal Department for Church-State Relations, will make a report on ‘Celebrations to mark historical dates in 2012’. Mr. Demidov, head of the office for Basic Orthodox Culture of the department for religious education and catechism, will report on the results of the 20^th International Christmas Readings.

The meeting is attended by the following members of the Council:

Metropolitan Varsonofy of Saransk and Mordovia, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the department for external church relations

Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk, chairman of the ROC Publishing Board

Archbishop Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol, head of the synodal mission department

Archbishop Yevgeny of Vereya, head of the Holy Synod’s education committee

Archbishop Feognost of Sergiev Posad, head of the synodal commission for monasteries

Bishop Irinarch of Krasnogorsk, head of the synodal department for prison service

Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s administrative secretariat

Bishop Tikhon of Podolsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s financial and economic administration

Bishop Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomysk, head of the synodal committee for cooperation with the Cossacks

Bishop Panteleimon of Smolensk and Vyazma, head of the synodal department for charity and social service

Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov, executive secretary of the Patriarchal Council for Culture

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the synodal department for church-society relations

Mr. V. Legoida, head of the synodal information department

Patriarchal Press Service/DECR Communication Service

Photos by Patriarchal Press Service

Concelebrating were archpriest Kirill Kopeikin, secretary of the Academic Board of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy; archpriest Vladimir Shmaliy, vice-rector of the Ss Cyril and Methodius Postgraduate School; hegumen Silvestr (Stoychev), professor of the Kiev Theological Academy; and clergymen – participants in the professional development course on modern natural science for the faculty of the theological schools.

During the Liturgy a DECR staff member Feodor Shulga was ordained deacon.

After the service Metropolitan Hilarion delivered a sermon, in which he reminded the worshippers about the Parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee: “This Parable tells us what we should feel when we come before God and start praying. Very often we think that we have some merits, at least in comparison with other people, whom we criticize for not living a life in the way our Lord has commanded. And if they are not Christians, we condemn them for not having faith in Christ. Even unwillingly, but we consider ourselves better than our neighbours.

At the same time we are very tolerant to our own ill deeds and are willing to justify ourselves. For example, if we miss the Sunday service or forget to say our morning and evening prayers, we will certainly find an explanation and an excuse: either we were tired or short of time.

The Tax Collector, who came to the church, didn’t try to justify himself, he didn’t compare himself with other people. He was just aware of being unworthy before God. And the only words he could utter were the words we often say: God, have mercy on me, a sinner. And God justified him, not for his deeds, but for his humility. If we treat our neighbours with humility, do not judge them, do not condemn them, we might be able to see them as they are – created in the image of God”.

Metropolitan Hilarion also noted that this day the Church “celebrates the commemoration day of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia – these are tens and hundreds of thousands of people, who showed their courage, strong faith and great humility during the years of persecution against the Church.

One of the clerics of our Church, priest-martyr Konstantin Liubomudrov, suffered for his faith like many other Moscow priests: he was shot. Today we venerate him as a saint, we have his holy icon in our Church.

New martyrs and confessors, who showed the greatest feat of loyalty to God, shine forth in the Church and today we glorify them and pray to them as we believe in their constant intercession”.

On February 1, 2012, after the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Christ the Savior, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with the acting president of Moldova, Mr. Marian Lupu, and his wife. They were joined in their talk by Metropolitan Vladimir of Kishinev and All Moldova, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, and Mr. A. Negutsa, Moldovan ambassador to Moscow.

Mr. Lupu extended congratulations to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church on the 3d anniversary of his enthronement as patriarch, saying, ‘Your Holiness, for us it is a great pleasure and honor to be with you on this day joyful for all the Orthodox community. I would like to congratulate you, on behalf of our family, leaders of the Republic of Moldova and all the Moldovan people, on the 3d anniversary of your patriarchal enthronement’. He wished His Holiness sound health and strength for many years to continue the mission entrusted him by God.

This mission is important not only in Russia but also in other countries and in the entire Orthodox world, he said and stressed that he remembered the words of Patriarch Kirill that the Church is separated from the state but cannot be separated from society.

‘I hope that your visit to our country has left you with very good memories. I would like to inform you that, according to sociological polls, your visit rates as one of the most important events in the last year in the Republic of Moldova. It is the opinion of not only experts but the whole society, the opinion of our fellow citizens. With great love and honor we are looking forward to your visits to our country in the future’, he said.

Patriarch Kirill thanked Mr. and Ms Lupu for their participation in the celebrations. He said he remembered his visit to Moldova with warmth. Such visits involve various activities including festive services, meetings with the country’s leaders, talks with clergy and the people. If there are very many events in one’s life, their details may leave one’s memory after some time, he said, ‘but I will always remember the warmth of human hearts and sincerity’.

‘I experienced a surge of grace when I was in Moldova, and this grace is certainly a result of the life of the devoted and faithful people of Moldova. Through this inner existential experience of mine I would like to say that the difficulties encountered by a country on the political and economic levels cannot be permanent or eternal in the context of such people. The Lord leads us through hardships in order to make us stronger.

‘But the most important thing is that, while going through hardships, one should not destroy oneself by betraying one’s values, ideas and principles. The Moldavian people have really preserved their Orthodox faith as the highest value, and it is my profound conviction that, having gone through the difficulties of today, they will come out on a straight and bright path. I am convinced that the Church of Moldova and the whole Russian Orthodox Church will pray for it’.

Addressing his high guest, Patriarch Kirill said, ‘I would like you to convey to all the people of Moldova that I love them, that they are my people in the spirit, though not in the blood. These are the people with whom I speak in the same language of prayer and the same language of religious sentiments. This is the most important thing that I have brought from my visit to Moldova’.

Mr. Lupu on his part testified that ‘your visit has left a deep impression on the consciousness of the Moldavian people, our society and our country’.

Speaking about the crisis that has hit the Moldavian society, he expressed the opinion that ‘all these crises, both political and economic, cannot be compared with a crisis of morality, a crisis of common human values, because if a society is strong in its spirit, faith, culture, education, then it is strong enough to overcome all other crises. Your visit to our country has been a great contribution of the consolidation of the faith, as it gave a very important strategic message to our society, which makes ever more successful our common efforts to strengthen common human values in Moldova and to enhance their role in the development of our society’.

DECR Communication Service

On February 1, 2012, the 3d anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Church of Christ the Saviour.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was assisted by Metropolitans Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Vladimir of Kishinev and All Moldavia, Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Hilarion of the Volokolamsk, head of the department for external church relations; Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Outside Russia; Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail, Gerasim of Zugdidi and Taishi (Georgian Orthodox Church); Bishop Nektarios of Karpasia (Orthodox Church of Cyprus), representatives of Local Orthodox Church to the Moscow Patriarchate including Metropolitan Athanasios of Kyrenia (Orthodox Church of Alexandria), Archbishop Niphon of Philippopolis (Orthodox Church of Antioch), Archimandrite Stephan (Dispirakis) (Orthodox Church of Jerusalem), Archimandrite Feoktist (Dimitrov) (Bulgarian Orthodox Church), Archpriest Alexy Yuschenko, rector of the Moscow Representation of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, as well as high-ranking church officials, abbots of patriarchal monasteries and Moscow clergy.

Among worshippers were Protopresbytor Matfey Stadnyuk, rector of the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Moscow, abbesses of convents, clergy and members of parish councils in Moscow.

Present at the service were Mr. Lupu, acting president of Moldova, Mr. A. Beglov, deputy head of the Presidential Administration, Mr. L. Slutsky, vice-chairman of the State Duma committee for international affairs, and Mr. A. Negutsa, Moldovan ambassador to Russia.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin extended congratulations to His Holiness in the sanctuary.

After the liturgy, Metropolitan Juvenaly led a thanksgiving.

Then Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg read out a congratulatory address from the Holy Synod and presented Patriarch Kirill with an icon of Our Lady of Kazan, the Patriarchal Press Service has reported.

The Primate of the Russian Church delivered a primatial homily.

DECR Communication Service

Discussed were questions pertaining to the difficult socio-political and economic situation in Greece. Ambassador Spinellis expressed gratitude to the Russian Orthodox Church for its decision to participate, together with the Archbishopric of Athens, in arranging soup-kitchens for the disadvantaged sections of the population.

Among the worshippers was Bishop Kliment of Krasnoslobodsk and Temnikov.

After the service, His Eminence Hilarion delivered an archpastoral homily, saying:

‘Today, dear brothers and sisters, we heard the Gospel’s story about the Lord Jesus Christ who passing by a fig tree noticed the tax collector Zacchaeus who climbed up the tree in order to see the Saviour (see, Lk. 19:1-10). The Lord said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today’. And Zacchaeus, full of joy because the Lord himself would come to his house, answered, ‘I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Then the Lord uttered these words, ‘Today salvation has come to this house’.

This story can serve as a lesson in many matters but it reminds us in particular of our house and that the Lord should be present in our house. Indeed, we do not doubt that the Lord is present in church. We come to church; our hearts seeks Him because we feel the presence of God here especially strongly. Here the Lord Jesus Christ offers us His Own Self in the sacrament of the Eucharist, and we take in His Body and Blood.

The church is a special place of God’s presence, and it should not be forgotten that our house should be a continuation of the church and that God’s presence we feel here should remain in our life also at the time when we are at home or in another place where the Lord ordains us to be. Be it in a house or in a flat, an office or other place where we live, work, rest and where there are other people with us, the Lord will be present if we ourselves, like Zacchaeus, accept Him with open hearts. The Lord wants to be present in our life and He does not shun any human dwelling, be it a mansion of a rich man or a modest communal flat shared by several families, be it an office of a large company president or a modest office of, by a human measure, a third-rate, civil servant.

The tax collector Zacchaeus was not a great man. He was short and his profession was disdained. However, when the Lord saw his faith and that he was not shy to climb a tree, though those around him laughed at him because they were taller and could see the passing-by prophet, the Lord did not shun him and addressed to him His saving word and came to his house. This is how the Lord visits people who, with pure and open heart, come to meet Him. For the Lord, there are no rich or poor, short or tall, well-off or unsuccessful people. For Him all are equal. And even when in our country there were estates, nobility and base estate, both worshipped together in church because for the Church and God all are equal.

God sometimes opens His grace in a special way to those who, by earthly measures, are so despicable that people do not even notice them and pass them by. But the Lord never passes by a person. He always looks at his heart because for the Savior each human being is precious.

Let us think today about bringing God’s presence we feel in church to our home, to our working place, to our family and our colleagues. Let us think of making our life a continuation of the Liturgy and our home a continuation of church. And then the Lord will always and everywhere be with us and will help us in our family and professional life, in our relations with our superiors and subordinates and with our relatives with whom it is so difficult to find a common language.

The Lord will come Himself and put everything in its place if only our heart is open to Him. Let us ask the Lord to give us the open heart, to be always with us and help us wherever we are, in our homeland or in a journey, in church or at home, in office or at rest. Amen’.

Metropolitan Hilarion told the parishioners that the icon of Sts Peter and Febronia with part of their relics would henceforth be kept in their church. In summer 2011, the relics of the saints were handed over to Metropolitan Hilarion by Mother Superior Tavifa of the Convent of the Holy Trinity in Murom. Their icon as patrons of family life was executed at the initiative of the church’s youth club. The shrine will be kept at the side-chapel of St. Varlaam of the church of Our Lady the Joy to All the Afflicted.

DECR Communication Service

On 24 January 2012, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa at the Patriarchal residence in St. Daniel’s Monastery. The Primate of the Church of Alexandria arrived in Moscow at the invitation of His Holiness to receive the prize “For the Outstanding Activity in Strengthening Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations and for Consolidation and Promotion of Christian Values in the Life of Society” named after His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II.
Taking part in the meeting were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR);
Metropolitan Athanasios of Kyrenaika, representative of the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administrative Secretariat; archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR deputy chairman; archimandrite Panteleimon (Arathymos), secretary general of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria; archimandrite Leonid (Gorbachev) representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa; archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations; and Rev. Mikhail Asmus, a DECR staff member.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church warmly greeted His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros, noting that the awarding is a momentous event. “You are caring as no one else for Orthodox Christians in fifty-four countries of Africa, thus consolidating unity of the Orthodox Church on the large African continent. You are making an important contribution to the unity of Orthodoxy as Primate of the Church of Alexandria, which has come from St Mark and is playing an important part in Orthodox affairs as it did in olden times,” His Holiness said.
He called relations between the two Churches “traditionally good and fraternal” and added that Patriarchs of Alexandria had been involved in momentous events in the life of the Russian Church. For instance, Patriarch Meletios Pegas, a deeply spiritual man of action and mighty intellect, played an important part in the establishment of the Patriarchate in Russia and extended substantive support to the first Patriarch of Moscow and to the Russian state. “It mattered a good deal to Russia as it was necessary to rely on the generally recognized Orthodox spiritual authorities; Patriarch of the Eastern Churches enjoyed prestige with Russian people,” His Holiness underscored.
Patriarch Kirill mentioned many bright events in relations between the two Churches which have always supported each other. “This is a part of our common Tradition,” he said and added: “The Russian Church will extend support to the Patriarchate of Alexandria by all available means defending the rights and freedoms of Christian minorities” at this hard time of oppression against Christians in Northern Africa.
Patriarch Kirill believes that the Representations of the Moscow Patriarchate in Cairo and of the Patriarchate of Alexandria in Moscow play an important part in the development of bilateral relations: “They symbolize the living linkage between our Churches.” His Holiness assured Patriarch Theodoros that he was always happy to meet him. Having noted that after his visit to Moscow His Beatitude will visit fourteen African countries, he wished him God’s help in his missionary endeavours.
His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros thanked His Holiness Patriarch Kirill for brotherly talk and added: “It is my fourth visit to Moscow in the eight years of my being Patriarch. This displays my respect for the Russian Church.” He said that he had warm recollections of his time spent in Russia, and the years of 1985-90 in particular, which he served in Odessa as Exarch of the Patriarch of Alexandria.
Patriarch Theodoros shared recollections of his meeting with Patriarch Kirill in Mozambique during his missionary visit to the country and said: “When I leave this world, I want people to remember me as a missionary Patriarch.”
He remarked that he would visit the King of Morocco on March 25 and then go to other African countries. “I will bring love there and remember that the Patriarch of All Russia is always with me.”
Also discussed were bilateral relations, pan-Orthodox cooperation, pastoral care for Russian Orthodox Christians living in African countries, and missionary work of the Church of Alexandria.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill described recent events in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church, including the establishment of new dioceses. His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros spoke of the three new dioceses of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and of missionary achievements in the tropical Africa.

The 20th International Educational Christmas Readings were opened on January 23, 2012, at Gostiny Dvor, Moscow. Its theme is Education and Morality: Concern of the Church, Society and State.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia presided over the opening ceremony and the first plenary session and gave an opening address.

The presidium of the Readings included Metropolitan Christopher of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, who came for the Readings at the invitation of Patriarch Kirill, several high-ranking church officials, Ms Valentina Matvienko, chair of the Council of the Federation, several governmental officials, and president of the Russian Academy of Education, N. Nikandrov.

The opening was attended by bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, representatives of other Local Orthodox Churches and numerous representatives of governmental bodies and public organizations.

Metropolitan Merkury of Rostov and Novocherkassk read out a message from President Dmitry Medvedev, who wrote in particular, ‘The theme of this jubilee Readings, ‘Education and Morality: Concern of the Church, Society and State’, is of great importance for the present and future of Russia. The tasks of the development of our country require that continuous attention should be given to the education and formation of the younger generation in the spirit of respect for moral values and patriotic ideas. It is a basis for the consolidation of civic peace and inter-ethnic accord, and it is extremely important here to broaden cooperation between state, public and religious organizations’.

Among the speakers at the opening were Metropolitan Christopher, Ms. Matvienko, Moscow Mayor Deputy A. Gorbenko and Deputy Minister of Education M. Dulinov.

Metropolitan Christopher spoke on the peculiarities of religious education in Czechia and Slovakia. While in the Czech Republic religious instruction is not compulsory, in Slovakia schoolchildren are taught the religious basics of their faith, though they can study the secular ethics instead if they wish. While in Czechia parents do not show great interest in this subject, in Slovakia most people confess Christianity and all the churches registered there use the opportunity to give religious instruction in public schools using a curriculum developed by the Metropolitan’s Council and certified by the state. In kindergartens, religious instruction is given by professional teachers authorized by their ruling bishop to carry out ‘canonical mission’. The teaching is organized under the Law on the Freedom of Religion, the Statute of the Church and Religious Organizations and the agreement on religious education and formation between the Republic of Slovakia and registered churches and religious organizations.

He also said his Church gives religious teachers professional training and advancement in close cooperation with the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the University of Presov. This training is financed by the state. Educational aids are published by the Ministry of Education.

Patriarch Kirill decorated N. Nikandrov with the Order of St. Daniel of Moscow in acknowledgement of his services in introducing the teaching of Basics of Orthodox Culture in secondary school.

This was followed by the awarding of prize-winners of the national contest for the best works in pedagogy and work with children and youth ‘For the Teacher’s Moral Feat’. This annual contest is conducted by the Ministry of Education and Science together with the ROC Department for Religious Education and Catechism and supported by Presidential Envoys in federal regions.

Among those awarded was S. Naumov, minister of education of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. He was decorated with the Medal of St. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, for his outstanding contribution to the development of Orthodox education.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, delivered a key paper on Moral Values and the Future of Humanity.

Patriarchal Press Service/DECR Communication Service

They discussed various aspects of bilateral relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia and the problems involved in pan-Orthodox cooperation. Participating in the talk was Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations.

The head of the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia was accompanied by Bishop Tikhon of Komárno and Archpriest Alexy Yuschenko, rector of the Moscow representation of the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. Present at the talk from the Russian Orthodox Church were also Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s administrative secretariat, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, DECR vice-chairman, and Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations.

DECR Communication Service

The final concert of the 2nd Christmas Festival took place on January 22, 2012, at the International House of Music in Moscow. The choir of the Popov Academy of Choral Art and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by V. Spivakov performed compositions by Luigi Cherubini (Requiem in C-minor) and Johannes Brahms (Song of Destiny).

The audience in the Svetlanov Hall could hear the first performance of Stabat Mater composed in 2008 for chorus and orchestra by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.

Metropolitan Hilarion greeted the audience on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and his own behalf as artistic director of the festival. He said, ‘Our festival has been conducted for the second time now and the experience has shown that the music performed at its concerts is very much in demand. It is not accidental that every concert has attracted public attention and has been overcrowded. It shows that people strive after beauty and things spiritual, that is, after the traditional source of the art of music’.

He explained that it was not accidental that the festival was timed to Christmas days, saying, ‘Concerts in the House of Music as if continue the Christmas services, and the text performed here speak of the same as the liturgical texts of the Orthodox Church, namely, that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14), that God became man. He did not come to us sometime long ago but He came to stay with us, and today and always He is among us. His divine presence gives meaning to our human.

‘During the concerts of the 2nd Christmas Festival we heard music of various nations and various times, beginning from the Byzantine singing and plain chant to the compositions by the 19 century Russian composers and contemporary composers and American gospels. For two weeks we could hear a very wide range of church music, the art belonging to various nations and at the same time to all nations because the language of music is a universal one understood by every person with the open heart and ability to hear what the composer put in their works. I wish God’s help to all the participants in the Festival’s final concert and hope that there will be a third festival, and we will see you all at its concerts’, he said in conclusion.

Answering questions from journalists before the concert, Metropolitan Hilarion said that the idea to compose ‘Stabat Mater’ visited him as back as 2007 when he was working at ‘Passions According to St. Matthews’. ‘The Gospel of St. Matthews does not mention the Mother of God standing at the Cross’, he reminded, ‘but I wanted to compose a work dedicated precisely to this theme. It is an eternal theme: a mother crying over the suffering of her child and the Mother of God who cries over the suffering of the whole world and intercedes with her Son as God incarnate’.

Numerous listeners acclaimed the performers of the final concert. After ‘Stabat Mater’ was performed, the chorus and orchestra executed as an encore another Metropolitan Hilarion’s composition, ‘On the Rivers of Babylon’, a part of the symphony ‘The Song of Ascents’.

DECR Communication Service