Address of UOC Holy Synod on the Visit of the Russian Patriarch
The Holy Synod of the UOC Adopted Address to Clergy and Laity on the Occasion of the Visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Ukraine
Address of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the occasion of the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Ukraine
Your Eminences, Your Graces, God-loving monkhood, Reverend fathers, dear brothers and sisters, all faithful children of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church!
On July, 27 – August, 5, the newly-elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill comes with archpastoral visit within the boundaries of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and at the invitation of the Holy Synod. In the course of his visit to Ukraine His Holiness will call to the prominent holy sites of our land: the Kyiv-Pechersk, Pochayiv and Svyatogorsk Lavras, the place of baptism of the Holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir – Chersonese, and other monasteries and temples of our Church, and will take part in the festive events dedicated to the 450th anniversary of bringing of the Wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God of Pochayiv to Volyn and the 350th anniversary of invention of the incorruptible relics of the Venerable Job of Pochayiv.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill arrives to the baptismal font of Rus – the city of Kyiv, from where comes not only the Russian land, as Venerable Nestor the Chronicler testifies, but also to the place where the Russian Orthodox Church takes her spiritual roots. It is here that after St. Vladimir’s baptism the Kyivan Metropolis was established, which up to now performs its salutary ministry in the lands of Ukraine.
The visit of Patriarch Kirill is a joyful event, giving us an opportunity of prayerful and Eucharistic communion with His Holiness around the Chalice of Christ. We hope that the Patriarch’s visit will give inspiration to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with her Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine at the head, to fulfil the salutary mission among the people of Ukraine, to work for the strengthening of the Church unity and overcoming schisms and divisions in the Ukrainian Orthodoxy.
We call everyone to raise your prayers to the All-merciful God that the passions about the visit excited by the unfriendly forces smoothed down. Let’s meet His Holiness as the Archpastor, who announces peace (Isaiah 52. 7).
July 9, 2009,
Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra
