On November 4, 2024, the feast day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Patriarchal Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. His Holiness was served by Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Metropolis; Bishop Stephen of Remezia, representative of the Serbian Patriarch to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Metropolitan Matthew of Pskov and Porkhov; Metropolitan Arseny of Zvenigorod; Archbishop Savva of Zelenograd, deputy administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Alexis of Ramensk, personal secretary of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill; Protopresbyter Vladimir Divakov; Protopriest Nikolai Balashov, rector of the Church of the Resurrection of the Word on Uspensky Vrazhk in Moscow, advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Archpriest Dionisy Kazantsev, secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for the Moscow Region; Archpriest Alexander Anchutin, cleric of the Eastern American Diocese of the Russian Church Abroad; the clergy of the capital.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vulin prayed at the service, accompanied by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Serbia to the Russian Federation Momčilo Babić, Counselor to the Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia Ivan Mirković, diplomats of the Embassy of Serbia in the Russian Federation.
After the Divine Liturgy and glorification before the miracle-working Moscow copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, acquired last year, His Holiness met with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Serbian Government in the Patriarchal Chambers of the Moscow Kremlin. A. Vulin conveyed to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church cordial greetings from Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Holy Patriarch Porphyrios of Serbia, expressed his appreciation of the importance of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill's ministry for the prosperity of Russia and the strengthening of Russian-Serbian friendship. As a gift to the Primate, the deputy head of the Serbian government presented a set of two panagias and a pectoral cross.
Holy Patriarch warmly welcomed the Serbian guest and emphasized the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church in preserving and defending common spiritual values, in fidelity to the Holy Tradition of the Church, which is the main guarantee of centuries-long friendship and mutual understanding between Russians and Serbs. His Holiness presented A. Vulin with a set of Patriarchal medals.
The meeting was also attended by Bishop Stefan of Remezia, Serbian Ambassador Momcilo Babic, Vulin's advisor Ivan Mirkovic, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and Priest Andrei Titushkin of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations.
The meeting was also attended by Bishop Stephan of Remezia, Serbian Ambassador Momcilo Babic, Vulin's advisor Ivan Mirkovic, Archpriest Andrei Titushkin, an employee of the Department for External Church Relations.
At the meal in the Patriarch's chambers, Alexander Vulin made a toast in which he noted the strong Orthodox faith of the Serbian and Russian peoples. Thanks to this faith, they have always chosen the side of truth and freedom in their history, have remained undefeated in spite of incalculable suffering, and are now successfully resisting the onslaught of countries that reject the values of faith in God, loyalty to the nation, and devotion to the family. The friendship and unity of the Serbian and Russian Orthodox Churches have a special role to play in this joint stand for truth, said the President of the Serbian Orthodox Church in his letter to the Serbian Orthodox Church in Moscow. Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Serbia.
EVCS Communication Service/Patriarchy.ru
