Sergiev Posad, Moscow Province, Russia, October 10, 2023
Photo: patriarchia.ru
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the feast of St. Sergius of Radonezh, October 8, at the monastery founded by the great 14th-century father, where his relics lie in repose.
The primate of the Russian Church was joined by a host of hierarchs and clerics for both the All-Night Vigil on Friday night and the Liturgy on Saturday morning.
At the monastic trapeza following the Divine Liturgy, the Patriarch addressed the monastics of the Russian Church with a call to serve their country in a greater way, with increased prayer and ministries such as visiting and tending to those injured in the war, reports Patriarchia.ru.
It’s not enough for monastics just to pray and avoid politics, for this would be a form of hypocrisy liable to Divine condemnation, according to the Patriarch.
Pat. Kirill said to the monks and nuns of the Russian Church:
The example of the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra should remind each of us how our devout predecessors understood their ministry. They fought for their country, for their people, for its unity, and if necessary, even fired cannons. Fortunately, we do not need to fire cannons now, but how important it is today to work for the unity of our people, for the consolidation of our society!
Some may withdraw into the shadows, thinking that what’s happening in the world is not their concern, saying, “I pray in my cell, and that’s enough.” But after all, even the Venerable Sergius prayed in his cell, but remaining an elder, a man of prayer, a hermit, he also took a courageous civic stance and blessed the battle of the holy Prince Dmitry Donskoy. So today, addressing all the monastics, I will say: Of course, your first and foremost task is to pray. But pray sincerely, not as we sometimes pray—reciting our rule, going to church—and that’s it. Today, we need to pray with true fervor, from the heart, putting our souls into it. Pray for our homeland, for our Church, which is going through very difficult circumstances because indeed many forces rise against us, both internal and external.
Today, we all need unity. But what is the unity of the Church? The unity of the Church is unity in prayer. Unity is when each of you prays for the Patriarch, who genuinely needs your prayers today; when each of you prays for Russia, for the president, for the military; when each of you understands that you have your place in this struggle for the freedom of our homeland.
Some may say: “Well, I don’t get involved in politics.” But can you imagine St. Sergius responding to Dmitry Donskoy’s call with a shrug, saying: “I don’t get involved in politics, you deal with Mamai yourselves?” Impossible! Because genuine love for the homeland, for the people, can’t be separated from our faith, from our Christian responsibility, if you will, from our asceticism. It’s impossible, sheltering in a quiet, cozy cell, to say: “No, this is not for me—I pray.” Imagine how such hypocrites would face Divine condemnation!
Today, we must not just pray. Today, we need to pray very fervently because we are going through challenging historical trials. The Patriarch feels how cold winds scorch both the Church and our people and our homeland. Therefore, I address you today with a special word. Pray for the homeland because it’s currently resisting global evil. The saints are with us, St. Sergius is with us, the great tradition of Holy Rus’ is with us, and we cannot do otherwise. And all of us must pray and nurture our people in deep Orthodox faith, love for the homeland, and devotion to the traditions of our holy predecessors, among whom is St. Sergius, the Abbot of Radonezh, who didn’t hesitate to bless Dmitry Donskoy for battle. He clearly understood that this was not only a spiritual but also a political act, but the quiet elder was not afraid: He blessed and then prayed. And as a result—victory.
Thus, our Church must not be afraid today, must not stand aside, must not remain silent. What is our role in this universal struggle if we don’t truly pray? We read our prayer rule, count prayers on our prayer rope, but we don’t pray for the most important thing—for the salvation of Russia, for support for the forces who are today on the front line of the struggle for the freedom of our homeland, and that means, for our Church. After all, if there is no free Russia, there will be no free Russian Church. There will be those who will betray it from the inside, and those who will devour it from the outside.
My word addressed to you is painted with such dramatic tones, but it can’t be otherwise, for calm, serene times have passed. The time of the Church’s utmost responsibility for our people and our country has come. And our responsibility lies, first and foremost, in prayer and in helping those who defend our homeland, in helping those who have suffered in defense of the homeland. We must undoubtedly find a place to apply not only our prayerful strength but also our attention and our love. Let it not be the case that patriarchal volunteers visit the hospitals while monks do not. It’s primarily the monastics who should be visiting our wounded! It’s always been that way, even in pre-revolutionary Russia. When we are entering such a challenging historical period, we must all be mobilized. Our bishops, priests, monastics, and nuns—all of us! Everyone must ask himself: What am I doing today for our people, for our fatherland, for the freedom of our Church?
And we will observe how you respond to the words of the Patriarch, whether monastics appear in the hospitals among the wounded soldiers. I address all monastics—if not you, then who? Sisters of Mercy—what were they? Primarily nuns. But I also address the fathers: Monasteries must provide real assistance today for those who are suffering. Brothers, go to the hospitals; don’t spare yourselves! If you spare yourselves, you’ll lose the fatherland, you’ll lose the respect of the people. They’ll ask: “And you, with your long beards, where were you?”
This is my word to all of you, and I hope it will spread throughout Great Rus’. I call on all of you to be vigilant, recognizing the historical responsibility of the Church for the fate of our people and our fatherland. Amen.
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