On the night of January 6-7, 2024, on the feast of the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated a series of Christmas services in the Cathedral Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow - Great Vespers, Matins and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.
In the Cathedral of Christ the Savior there is an icon of the Holy Trinity painted by St. Andrew Rublev. For the feast of the Nativity of Christ, the image of the Holy Trinity was delivered from the All-Russian Art Research and Restoration Center named after Academician I.E. Grabar and installed in the church at the right choir.
The Patriarchal Christmas service was broadcast live on the television channels Pervy, Rossiya 1, Spas, as well as on the official portal of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarchy.ru. The broadcast was commented on by N.I. Derzhavin, Deputy Head of the Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. On the Spas TV channel and the Patriarchy.ru portal, the broadcast was carried out with sign language interpretation.
Traditionally, before the service began, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed a live Christmas greeting to the viewers.
On Christmas night His Holiness was served by Metropolitan Grigory of Voskresensk, Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate, First Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for Moscow. Moscow; Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Siluan of Pavlovo-Posad, Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Nikandr of Naro-Fominsk, chairman of the Financial and Economic Department of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev, clergyman of Christ the Savior Cathedral; Archimandrite Alexis (Turikov), personal secretary of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill; Moscow clergy.
The church was attended by: State Secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus D.F. Mezentsev; Chairman of the Moscow City Duma A.V. Shaposhnikov; Chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations between the Church and Society and Mass Media V.R. Legoida.
Also among those present were representatives of the Roman Catholic Church: Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Our Lady of Moscow Archbishop Paul Pezzi; Counselor of the Apostolic Nunciature in the Russian Federation Monsignor Mislav Hodzcic; Archbishop Archimandrite Petros Yesayan, Vicar General of the Armenian Catholic Church for Russia.
Liturgical hymns were sung by the Patriarchal Choir of the Cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior (regent - I.B. Tolkachev) and the Children's Choir of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater. The Bolshoi Theater Children's Choir is one of the oldest children's choirs in Russia (Artistic Director - Yulia Molchanova). The Children's Choir of the Bolshoi Theater is one of the oldest children's choral groups in the country, and next year will mark its centenary.
At the Litany of Supplication, special petitions were offered, and the Primate of the Russian Church read a prayer for Holy Russia.
The Christmas message of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to archpastors, shepherds, deacons, monastics and all faithful members of the Russian Orthodox Church was read by Metropolitan Gregory of Voskresensk.
At the end of the Liturgy, a glorification of the feast was celebrated.
At the conclusion, His Holiness addressed the faithful with the Primacy Word.
Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
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