Patriarch Kirill Visits the Base of the Submarine Forces of the Pacific Fleet

DECR – OCP News Service – 18/09/2023

Moscow-Russia: His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the military base of the submarine forces of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy on September 16, 2023.

During his visit to the submarine base, His Holiness met with the command of the submarine forces of the Pacific Fleet and the personnel of the submarine crews.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was warmly received by Vice Admiral V.A. Dmitriev, the commander of the submarine forces of the Pacific Fleet. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed the command and personnel with his first hierarchical words.

As a token of his visit, His Holiness presented the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the patron saint of sailors, for one of the ships of the Pacific Fleet. He also distributed small icons of the Savior to all those present.

His Holiness expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to meet and greet everyone, emphasizing his hope that nothing would hinder them from dutifully fulfilling their responsibilities for the Motherland.

A solemn march of sailors from the submarine forces of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet took place. In return, Vice Admiral V.A. Dmitriev, on behalf of the submariners, presented His Holiness with a memorable gift—a model of a nuclear submarine. The commander introduced the submarine fleet officers to His Holiness.

Following this, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, accompanied by the commander, visited the nuclear submarine missile cruiser “Alexander Nevsky.” His Holiness was accompanied by several notable individuals, including Governor of the Kamchatka Territory V.V. Solodov, Metropolitan Dionysius of the Resurrection (manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate), Archbishop of Petropavlovsk and Kamchatka Theodore, His Holiness’s personal secretary Archimandrite Alexy (Turikov), and clergy from the Peter and Paul Diocese.

Source:

OCP News Service