His Holiness Patriarch Kirill met with the clergy of the Diocese of Dnipropetrovsk
24/07/2010
On July 24 the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church visited the Dnipropetrovsk diocesan administration. At the assembly hall the meeting of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill with the diocesan clergy was held.
Addressing His Holiness, Metropolitan Iriney of Pavlohrad and Dnipropetrovsk underscored: “everyone waited for your arrival in order to pray with You, to hear the words of admonition and instruction”.
Attending the meeting also were Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchy Metropolitan Varsonofy of Saransk and Mordovia, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokalamsk, Metropolitan Iriney of Dnipropetrovsk and Pavlohrad, Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol, Archbishop Efraim of Kryvyi Rih and Nikopol, abbot of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra Archbishop Theognost of Sergiev Posad, Bishop Metrophanes of Horlivka and Slavyansk, chairman of the administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchy Bishop Sergy of Solnechnogorsk, Bishop Evlogy of Novomoskovsk, chairman of the Synodal Information Department V.R.Legoyda, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church-Society Relations archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, deputy chairman of the DECR archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Secretary of the DECR for Inter-Orthodox Relations prest Igor Yakimchuk, head of the personal secretariat of His Holiness the Patriarch hieromonk Anthony Sevriuk, etc.
At the beginning of his speech His Holiness Patriarch Kirill pointed out the positive changes that took place in the diocese: the number of churches grew considerable, but what is most important, the Church’s authority among people increased.
His Holiness also pointed out the significance of Dnipropetrovsk as intellectual and production center of Ukraine and drew attention of those present at the peculiarities of the pastoral care of the resident of this city. In particular, His Holiness called to pay attention to the quality of a sermon, reminded of the necessity to develop youth and social ministry. At every parish concrete acts of mercy are to be done, emphasized the o Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
“In a certain sense the subject of the church unity, which is rather urgent for Ukraine, has to be solved by activation of the church life… We have to be a community of life, a community of healing and conciliation of the people, we have to help people to obtain the sense of life… Our word should be the word of love, addressed to the world”, then, as His Holiness was sure, the people would make right choice with their hearts, as they did in the 20-ties of the past century, when the renovation schism emerged.
Having made the speech, His Holiness answered the questions of the meeting participants.
DECR communication service/Press-service of His Holiness the Patriarch
