On February 1, 2020, the eleventh anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, Temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada, concelebrated with the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
The liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (director I.B. Tolkachev) and the choir of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra (director Archimandrite Gleb (Kozhevnikov)).
The Patriarchal service was broadcast live on the Soyuz and Spas TV channels.
At the Litany of Fervent Supplication, petitions were offered for the unity of the Orthodox Church and its preservation from divisions and schisms.
Special petitions were included in the Litany of Fervent Supplication for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, honored on this day, and for the Russian Church led by him.
After the Litany of Fervent Supplication, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna offered a prayer for the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’.
The Primate of the Russian Church offered a prayer for peace in Ukraine.
The sermon before communion was delivered by the Deputy Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate, Bishop Savva of Zelenograd.
At the end of the Liturgy, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry read out the address of congratulations to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on behalf of the members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and presented His Holiness with a mantle and a bouquet of flowers.
His Holiness was also congratulated by the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Central Federal District, I.O. Shchegolev.
The Primate of the Russian Church addressed those gathered With the Primatial Word.
At the end of the service, on behalf of the clergy and laity of the Diocese of Sourozh, Bishop Matthew presented His Holiness with an icon of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the heavenly patron of Scotland.
