On July 18, 2024, on the feast of the finding of the relics of the Monk Sergius, Hegumen of Radonezh (1422), after the Divine Liturgy on Cathedral Square Svyato-Trinity Sergius Lavra and receiving church awards to a number of bishops and clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church at a festive tragedy.html">conferring church awards to a number of bishops and clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church, at a festive meal in the Lavra His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia shared his thoughts on the most pressing challenges facing the Russian Orthodox Church today.
Holy Patriarch Kirill shared his thoughts on the most pressing tasks facing the Russian Orthodox Church today.
«Most importantly, we must not miss our young people, emphasized His Holiness Vladyka, — I am not talking about those wonderful representatives of them who make up the asset of our Church, but about the huge number of young people who today are subjected to a colossal influence from the outside. The whole industry of films, TV shows, various programs is working at full force to destroy the moral nature of man, especially the young.
«Therefore, I appeal to our parish youth, student youth, and young priests, — continued the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. — We must understand how the devil works, trying to influence human consciousness, stirring passions. And what should be our response? First of all, we must ask the Lord for help every day. Not only to read mechanically morning and evening prayers, but to ask Him to strengthen us, to give us the strength to resist the terrible godless flow of information that falls on modern man. And if every day, morning and evening, we sincerely turn to the Lord, He will answer us.
His Holiness said that it is also very important that young people who are taking their first steps in the Church find wise clergy — «not closed-minded rigorists, who can sometimes be found in monasteries, but reasonable shepherds who would help to make up their minds in life, who would equip them with the right awareness of why it is necessary to live in a Christian way, and not in a pagan way»
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«I ask you very much to renew your consciousness, your pastoral responsibility, so that everyone who comes to you for confession will receive a breath of spiritual oxygen and can say: "Lord, what a grace of God has been poured out on me!" In this way we will really help people to resist apostasy, the onset of godlessness, the decay of morals, everything that is bringing the kingdom of Antichrist closer, — — the Primate of the Russian Church addressed the clergy.
«And, of course, today my word — to the to the brother archpastors. A great responsibility is upon you, Vladyks! Today is a time of vigilance, a time of prayer, a time of active work with our people, with our youth. It is a time of feats. Take these words of the Patriarch with all responsibility. Set tasks for yourselves that you did not set yesterday, » — stated His Holiness.
«Our responsibility— is not only for grandparents who always stay in the temple. We are responsible before God for the entire Russian people. And what is this people today from the religious point of view? Can we say that we are working for an "A"? God willing, that on "three" work! I am not accusing anyone — I am just saying that our bishops, our priests may not fully understand the scope of their task. We are used to a narrow circle of parishioners, but everything that happens in the country, in our people — this is our pastoral responsibility, if we want to save our people, our Church» — concluded His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.
Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
