The speech of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan at the presentation of the printed works of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'

Your Graces,
Reverend Fathers, Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Just recently, on February 1, we prayerfully celebrated the 16th anniversary of the enthronement of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. This event became a good reason to once again review the path taken by the Russian Orthodox Church and its Primate in recent times.

From a young age, imitating the example of pious ancestors and inspired by the zealous labors of his spiritual mentor, the ever-memorable Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), the future Primate chose the difficult but salvific path of serving the Lord and people. His faith, which grew stronger in the era of hard times and persecution of the Church of Christ, became a solid foundation for all subsequent creative work of our Patriarch as faithful steward of God’s grace in its various forms (1 Pet. 4:10). We can confidently testify that the Almighty placed His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the high candlestick of the Primate service in one of the most difficult periods in the existence of the Russian Orthodox Church. But even in these most difficult circumstances, he invariably trusts in God and with zeal, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, shows firmness and steadfastness, always succeeding in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58).

His Holiness visited the blessed land of Kazakhstan twice - in January 2010 and in May 2012. The Primate visits gave new impetus to church life in our country. We all remember the consecration of the newly built Assumption Cathedral and the spiritual, cultural and administrative center of the Metropolitan District in Astana, the patriarchal services in the Ascension and St. Nicholas Cathedrals in Alma-Ata, the communication of His Holiness with the hierarchs, clergy and believers. Recently, joyful news came that, at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.-Zh.K. Tokayev, His Holiness will visit our country again on September 17-18 of this year. The Primate will take part in the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

The establishment of Patriarchal authority in the Church is confirmed by Holy Tradition and apostolic succession. What is a Church without a Patriarch can be understood by examining the Synodal period of our history. We must thank God that by His will at the beginning of the 20th century, in difficult times, the institution of the patriarchate was brought back to life. This helped the Church to survive in the era of persecution and militant atheism, to regain its historical role in the new millennium. Patriarchal governance is the most important factor in church unity. It is no coincidence that today's ill-wishers of Orthodoxy choose both the institution of the Patriarchate and the personality of the Primate himself as targets for attacks. Often, the ascension of a new Patriarch to the throne was associated with a turning point for the Church. The time of the apostolic labors of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill became a time of continued active revival of the Russian Orthodox Church, restoration of its social status and intellectual role, which it had in history before the tragic twentieth century. Through the efforts of His Holiness, the Church has regained its didactic and socially active position.

The Primate of our Church is deeply aware of the historical mission and responsibility of Orthodoxy in the context of the destruction of traditional moral values in the world and growing Christianophobia. He invariably calls on the faithful to follow the Word of God, to follow the path of the Gospel and he convinces people seeking the Truth to listen to the voice of conscience.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill is the author of numerous brilliant publications, reports and speeches. He has written a number of books in which His Holiness sets out his theological views, understanding of the near and distant future, and shares his vision of global social and historical processes. His written works go beyond religious topics, they reflect a wide range of acute social, spiritual, moral and cultural problems of modern life. Reviving the ancient tradition of preaching, Patriarch Kirill gives it a new, social sound. He reveals to the listener and reader the language of "universal preaching", which is understandable to both church people and secular people. His Holiness the Bishop boldly speaks out in his works on the most controversial and acute problems. Be it international conflicts, a pandemic, digital technologies or artificial intelligence.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill has repeatedly noted in his speeches and interviews the influence that reading books had on him as a child. In one of his conversations, recalling his father's unique library, which contained more than three thousand books, he said: "In my youth, I read what became available to most of our fellow citizens only during the perestroika period... Berdyaev, Bulgakov, Frank and the remarkable works of our Russian religious and philosophical thought of the early 20th century." It is obvious that the respect for literature instilled in him from his youth and the deep awareness of the importance of reading spiritual literature for the revival of Orthodoxy determined the close attention to book publishing that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill shows.

The words and speeches of our First Hierarch are fundamental, they express the opinion of the fullness of the Church on many current issues, and their popularization should be one of the priority areas of our spiritual and educational work in the dioceses and parishes. It is necessary to acquaint our parishioners and people interested in religious life, culture and history with the printed works of His Holiness the Patriarch.

Seeing the zealous service of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, clearly testifying to his deep devotion to the Savior and His Church, reading and listening to his wise word, we thank the Creator for the opportunity and joy of being eyewitnesses and participants in his work in the Lord's field. May the Lord preserve His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' for many good years.