His Holiness Patriarch Kirill arrived in Kyrgyzstan. Word of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill after the consecration of the Resurrection Cathedral in Bishkek
On May 27, 2017, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia began his primatial visit to Kyrgyzstan.
The official delegation accompanying His Holiness included: Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Archbishop Sergius of Solnechnogorsk, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archbishop Theophylact of Pyatigorsk and Circassia, temporary administrator of the Patriarchal Deanery of the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Turkmenistan; Chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations between the Church, Society and the Media V.R. Legoyda, Head of the Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Priest Alexander Volkov.
At the capital's Manas airport, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was met by: the head of the Central Asian metropolitan district, Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, Bishop Daniel of Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan, and the clergy of the Bishkek diocese; director State Commission for Religious Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Zairbek Ergeshov, Deputy Head of the Department foreign policy Office of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Daniyar Sayakbaev, Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism Baktybek Sekimov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Russian Federation in the Kyrgyz Republic A.A. Krutko and Russian diplomats.
Addressing the media representatives at the airport, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill noted that this was his first visit to the Kyrgyz Republic.
“First of all, I came here to pray together with Orthodox people, to see how the life of the Orthodox Church in Kyrgyzstan is developing. Kyrgyzstan is a very friendly country where Russians and Kyrgyz live in great friendship,” said His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.
His Holiness reminded that the outstanding Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov wrote in Kyrgyz and Russian. “This shows how our cultures interpenetrate and what a great place the Russian language and Russian culture have in the life of the Kyrgyz people. All this awakens a feeling of great respect and hope that relations between our peoples will always remain good, regardless of how the political picture develops in the world,” the Primate of the Russian Church emphasized.
“I would like to convey to all people living in Kyrgyzstan, the wishes of peace, well-being, prosperity, interethnic cooperation, so that God preserves the land of Kyrgyzstan,” His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said in conclusion.
According to the press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
Photo: St. Igor Palkin, Oleg Chernetsov
On May 28, 2017, on the 7th Sunday after Easter, of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the rite of the great consecration of the Resurrection cathedral in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, the city of Bishkek and Divine Liturgy in the newly consecrated church. At the end of the Liturgy, the Primate of the Russian Church addressed the audience with the First Hierarch's word.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!
We dedicate the Sunday preceding the feast of the Holy Trinity to the memory of the holy fathers of the First Ecumenical Council — those who laid the foundation for a systematic exposition of the Orthodox faith, those who created the first part of the Creed. Saying a prayer to the Lord with the words of the Creed, we testify before the Lord not only about our faith, but also about our fidelity to Him. We promise Him to keep the words of the Symbol in our hearts and never change the faith that He handed over to the holy apostles and which was so wonderfully expounded by the Fathers of the First and then the Second Ecumenical Councils.
It is on this day in the temple during the Liturgy that it is supposed to read the Gospel of John - the first thirteen verses of the 17th chapter. If someone asks you: “Is there one phrase in the Gospel that explains everything?” Answer: “There is, in the 17th chapter of the Gospel of John: And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.(John 17:3)."
Even if nothing else had been said, these words would have been enough to save oneself. From them we learn that God, whom no one has ever seen(John 1:17) - this evidence is also found in Holy Scripture - can be known by man. God, incomparable to anything, outside our perception, outside our experience, can be known, and through this knowledge a person is saved, the gates of eternity are opened to him. And this knowledge takes place precisely because our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to us, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, all the fullness of the Godhead bodily(see Col. 2:9). The unknown Divine principle and power were manifested in Jesus Christ in a bodily, that is, physical way, that is, they saw and heard Christ, they touched Him, communicated with Him, and ate food with Him. He revealed himself as a Man, preserving the Divine nature invariably, and therefore, believing in Christ, we discover God for ourselves.
What does it mean to know God? What is hidden behind these words? It is impossible for a person to either know God or believe in Him if he has thoughts and feelings that are not just far from God, but contradict God. Everyone knows very well that in order to catch any radio station or TV channel, you need to tune in to a certain wave. You can have the most wonderful television and radio receivers, but you can't catch a wave if you can't tune in to it. In the same way, a person — if he does not tune in to the wave on which God speaks to people, he will not only not be able to know God, but even feel Him. Such a person will never be able to believe in Him, because his life course does not coincide with the Divine course, and the farther a person moves away from God, the less chance that he will ever discover the Divine principle for himself.
What does it mean to tune into the wave? This means that you need to live in the system of values that God offered to people. And He offered a system of values in the form of simple commandments that are understandable to anyone: a child, an adult, an old man, educated, uneducated - there is not a single person in the world who would not be able to understand the Divine commandment. Here Basil the Great says that the knowledge of God is the fulfillment of the Divine commandments, because through obedience to God we enter His world, into the system of values established by Him, we become our own to God, we speak the same language with Him ...
But it is impossible to fulfill the commandments formally, just as a child cannot formally obey his parents if he does not love them, if they are strangers to him. Similarly, a person cannot formally fulfill God's commandments - read the text, and then say: "I will fulfill it." Nothing will work out, and Gregory the Theologian speaks wonderfully about this. According to him, the most important and correct path to knowledge of God is love for God in the heart, which is preferable to the path of the mind. The path of the mind is also needed, but it will never connect a person with God if a person does not feel God in his heart, if he does not feel love for Him.
But to love the invisible is almost impossible. That is why the Lord sends His Son, the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ, so that we not only hear His words, but also love Him, having read the Gospel, looking at His image; so that He becomes in our life a model, an ideal, a light, a hope. Then, through love for God, we are given the opportunity to fulfill His commandments, and as soon as we begin to fulfill them, we will enter the orbit of Divine life, and then not only with our minds, but also with our hearts, with our feelings, with our whole lives, we will touch God, we will feel Him. strength and His grace.
When a person arranges his life in such a way that the main goal is to approach God, everything else becomes secondary, but not indifferent. Aspiring to God does not mean neglecting education, family or job duties - all this is somehow included in the system of moral coordinates that God offered people. Therefore, faith in God does not exclude our activity - on the contrary, it presupposes such, but not for the sake of empty, worthless goals that can destroy human life. And if the achievement of such goals devastates a person, depriving him of all strength, then the achievement of true goals, on the contrary, strengthens him and brings him closer to God.
We, living in the 21st century, receive a huge amount of information, which helps a lot to understand, but also makes it difficult to understand a lot. Therefore, a guiding principle is needed in order not to stray from life path, and that beginning is faith. Knowing God, perceiving the Lord with our hearts, entering His value system through the fulfillment of Divine commandments - this is the life of a Christian, and everything else is secondary, but, as I said, not indifferent, because faith helps us solve many issues related to our professional activities, with family and social relations, with building peaceful relations with people regardless of their nationality and religion.
That is why genuine Christians are not a danger to any society. A true Christian never go to war on someone who is not a Christian, and this is so important for such societies where there are both Orthodox, and Muslims, and representatives of other religions. A true Christian will never emanate the danger of terrorist acts, subversive activities, hatred towards those who do not profess Christianity - because this is against the Divine commandments. The Lord called us to love everyone, He never said: "Love only those who think and think like you, and fight against the rest."
That is why love is a fundamental principle in the life of a Christian, and I am very glad that here, in Kyrgyzstan, very good relations are developing between Orthodox Christians and Muslims, that the state authorities support just such a style of relations, that the Orthodox Church has the opportunity to develop its service here, without being limited by external directions and prescriptions. I believe that, together with the Islamic community, the Orthodox can actively participate in the creation of a peaceful, just and prosperous life, and I sincerely wish this to the people of Kyrgyzstan.
About eight years ago, the Central Asian metropolitan district was formed. It was decided that each of the Central Asian republics should have its own bishop, because where there is a bishop, there is the Church, and without a bishop the Church becomes weak. Relations between parishes are falling apart, there is no unifying force, there is no supervision over the correct correction of divine services, over the correct delivery of sermons, over the correct organization of parish life, which should include various ministries, including work with children, youth, and the elderly. In addition, parish work must necessarily include educational programs. A modern person cannot believe in something that he does not know at all, and therefore it is the duty of the Church to tell people - both young and middle-aged, and the elderly - about the Orthodox faith, about the history of the Church, about wonderful examples of Christian heroism, which we in church language we call holiness. All this great work must be led and coordinated by someone - within the framework of the Central Asian metropolitan district, its leader, Metropolitan Vikenty, a permanent member of the Holy Synod, and in each diocese, including Bishkek, by its own bishop.
I would like to greet you from the bottom of my heart, Vladyka Daniel. You have been appointed to the pulpit not so long ago, but by the grace of God I receive good testimonies of your ministry. I would ask you to continue this ministry - to help people gain faith, to help the clergy renew their calling. A priest cannot have any fatigue from service, no burnout. And if someone gets tired and burns out, you invite them to your place and give them twice as many responsibilities. Then all burnout will pass, and enthusiasm will reappear—just treat the clergy, the believers with love, unite them around you. I know that you are building good and correct relations with the Muslim community. This is how it should be - as I said, this stems from our faith, and not from adaptation to the external conditions of life. In principle, we cannot treat people of other faiths badly - not in order to expect something from them, but because this attitude stems from our convictions, Christ taught us this.
I would like to wish prosperity to the Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan diocese. I would like to wish the fathers jealousy. You once took office with a promise to faithfully serve the Lord. Serve Him until your last breath, bring people the living word, pray with them, weep with them and rejoice with them, and then the people will never turn away either from the Church of God or from each of you.
I thank you, Vladyka Vincent, for your efforts, for the kind words you have spoken. And I very much hope that the coordination of the actions of all the dioceses of the Central Asian metropolitan district will contribute both to the strengthening of the Orthodox faith and the development of relations with the predominantly Islamic population here.
Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
On Saturday, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia began his primatial visit to Bishkek. This is the first visit of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church to Kyrgyzstan. Tomorrow, Patriarch Kirill will consecrate the Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Bishkek and celebrate the Divine Liturgy in it.
From 2009 to 2017, Patriarch Kirill visited 26 countries near and far abroad. From the republics of the former USSR, he visited Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine.
According to the 2016 census, in Kyrgyzstan, about 6% of the population (360,580 people) are Russians. According to the Patriarch, the Russian Church supports compatriots abroad. And the current visit pursues these goals as well.
I have never been to Kyrgyzstan. But, of course, I first of all arrived to pray with the Orthodox, to see how life develops Orthodox Church in Kyrgyzstan, - said the patriarch. - Kyrgyzstan is a friendly country. The Russian language occupies a very important place in the cultural life of Kyrgyzstan. Suffice it to recall Chingiz Aitmatov, a remarkable Kyrgyz writer, on whose works we were brought up. This shows how our cultures interpenetrate. And all this awakens a sense of great respect, - Patriarch Kirill said at the Manas airport.
The Holy Resurrection Cathedral, which the patriarch will consecrate on Sunday, was built after the war - in 1945-1947. And in 1995, with the blessing of His Eminence Vladimir, Archbishop of Tashkent and Central Asia, the construction of a diocesan spiritual and administrative center began in the church fence of the Resurrection Cathedral.
The main shrine of the Resurrection Cathedral is the relics of the Confessor Heraclius of Issyk-Kul. They were transferred from the village of Ananyevo on September 14, 2004 and placed in the altar of the Resurrection Cathedral.
Twice a year, the relics were taken to the temple for general worship. October 27, 2008 the relics of St. Heraclius were taken out of the altar and placed in a shrine with a canopy specially arranged for this purpose. Now the relics are constantly available to believers.
In the "zero" Resurrection Cathedral has already become not only a religious building, but a cultural center. It regularly hosts charity events, festivals, concerts, scientific conferences and educational activities. Moreover, they are designed not only for parishioners, but also for all residents of the city.
