On July 22, 2024, priests of the Kazan Diocese, responsible for feeding the participants of the special military operation and the development of the humanitarian mission, met with the chairman of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies, Chairman of the Synodal Committee for Cooperation with Cossacks Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk.
Metropolitan Kirill.
The meeting was attended by the head of the Kazan diocese's department for interaction with the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies Archpriest Vladimir Samoilenko, Archpriest Andrei Zinkov of the department, Archpriest Andrei Dubrovin, dean of the Zakamsky church district and head of the department for work with the Cossacks, Archpriest Valery Karanaev, rector of the Church of Great Martyr George the Victorious, Naberezhnye Chelny, Archpriest Alexander Pavlov, rector of St. Sophia Church, Kazan, Priest Sergiy Vokhmyanin, clergyman of the Dukhoshestvensky Church, Kazan, Priest Sergiy Vokhmyanin, acting rector of the Voznesensky Church, Kazan.Acting rector of the Voznesensk Makaryev Monastery Hieromonk Amvrosy (Gornovsky), clergyman of the St. John the Baptist Monastery in Kazan Priest Vladimir Gornovsky, rector of the church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Klyuchishchi, Archpriest Vladimir Silantiev, and Priest Vasily Imukov, clergyman of the Spassky Cathedral in Yelabuga.
Propriest Vladimir Samoylenko told Metropolitan Kirill about the ministry of the clergy of the diocese in the zone of the Strategic Defense Forces, where clergy regularly travel to provide spiritual care for the military, about the humanitarian mission, in which Tatarstan parishes are actively involved.
Chairman of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces thanked the priests for the proper fulfillment of pastoral duties in the zone of the North Caucasus Military District, for their contribution to the development of activities aimed at supporting the military in the parishes entrusted to them.
«All those who travel to the zone of the North-Eastern European Military District by duty know that the soldiers are very tired. It is necessary to support them in every possible way, to strengthen them spiritually, — noted Vladyka Kirill. — During spiritual conversations it is especially important, in my opinion, to talk to the guys about the immortal soul. We are created by God for eternity. Subconsciously warriors go to death with faith in immortality, with hope for eternal life. It is this hope that gives them strength. Of course, the soldiers are strengthened by the oath. The motto of paratroopers "Nobody but us!" on the line of combat contact sounds especially strong clearly. Your brothers are on your right and left, you can't retreat. Guys fight for good ideas, defend the Fatherland, protect their families. But the earthly things still do not outweigh the heavenly things. For Stalin!" But in the face of death, does anyone remember the ruler? "Mommy!" they shout, they remember their wives and children. And they repeat: "Lord, have mercy! Lord help!". There is an opinion that one should not talk to soldiers about death. But how can we not talk about it when there is death everywhere? Murdered brothers, torn limbs… The subject of death cannot be avoided. Death and immortality are always next to each other. After all, there is no death as such, it is only a transition to another life, eternal. It is the realization of immortality that gives a person the strength to go to death. Let us remember the feat of the holy martyrs of Faith, Hope, Love. Their mother Sophia looked at the torment of her children. It was faith that helped her to accept and endure it. Faith in immortality, faith in eternal life with God. And since then nothing has changed.
The head of the Synodal Department analyzed situations that have arisen in the pastoral practice of priests of the Russian Orthodox Church who are sent to serve in new regions, spoke about the opportunities for training, the importance of learning first aid skills. topical issues of the ministry of military clergy.
Tatarstan Metropolis/Patriarchy.ru
