Moscow, August 19, 2026
Photo: patriarchia.ru
The right hand of St. Spyridon of Tremythus, one of the Orthodox Church’s most venerated wonderworkers, arrived at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow on Tuesday evening as part of a monthlong pilgrimage across Russia.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia greeted the relic at the cathedral’s western doors before the Polyeoelos in the All-Night Vigil for the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. His Eminence Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu, who led the Greek delegation bringing the relic, handed the reliquary to the Patriarch, who kissed the relic before it was carried into the center of the church and placed beneath an icon of St. Spyridon, accompanied by the singing of the saint’s troparion, reports Patriarchia.ru.
Certain outlets from various countries incorrectly reported, in the context of the visit from the Greek delegation, that the Russian Church broke communion with the Greek Church in 2019 over the latter’s recognition of the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.” In fact, because this recognition was initiated by the primate, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens, without the backing of the Greek Holy Synod, the Russian Church did not break communion with the whole of the Greek Church, but only with those hierarchs who explicitly recognize the schismatics. Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu, on the other hand, is one of the Greek hierarchs who has consistently supported the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The hand of St. Spyridon arrived in Russia on August 17 and will remain in the country until September 20.
Eight bishops and a number of clergy concelebrated the Vigil with Patriarch Kirill, along with members of the Greek delegation and Moscow clergy.
Liturgical singing during the service was performed by the Patriarchal Choir and the Chamber Choir of Christ the Savior Cathedral.
Following the veneration of the relic, Patriarch Kirill addressed those gathered, thanking the Greek delegation:
Today our brothers from Greece were with us—Orthodox hierarchs, clergy and laymen. Today we prayed, each in his own language, but we offered the same prayer to the Lord. We prayed, of course, for our Orthodox Church, which exists and serves in many countries, and we prayed for our peoples, that the Lord would keep us in faith, in unity of mind, in love. So that, no matter the circumstances—not always favorable in the context of life in modern civilization—we might preserve the one thing without which you cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and cannot attain simple human happiness.
May the Lord help all of us to keep the faith, to keep love for the Lord, to be able to treat one another wisely and with kindness, so that the Orthodox faith may grow stronger in our people and our national spiritual life may grow stronger.
Photo: patriarchia.ru
After the service, Patriarch Kirill spoke with Metropolitan Nektarios and members of the Greek delegation in the altar of the cathedral.
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