“Axios, axios, axios”

Metropolitan Kirill is the 16th Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. Thousands of people were present in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral, despite the freezing cold outside. Millions of faithful followed the ceremony broadcast live over the television, radio and on the web. Over 200 concelebrants and dozens of representatives of other religious confessions were present for the occasion. Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, chaired the Vatican delegation. Rev. Colin Williams, Secretary General of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and three political leaders: Russian president Dmitri Medvedev, Premier Vladimir Putin and the head of the State of Moldova, Voronin, were also in attendance. At 9.15 the Cathedral’s bells’ chimed. Metropolitan Kirill arrived after a few minutes, welcomed by the songs of 4 different choirs. Halfway through the ceremony Kirill was called to sit three times on the chair of the Patriarch while the attendants intoned the Greek word “Axios”, that means “he is worthy”. Kirill was presented with the vestments of his new post as Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, his first blessings to the faithful followed.The first speech and the priorities. It is a “difficult” mission that requires “full commitment and total devotion” declared Patriarch Kirill in his first official speech delivered during the enthronization ceremony. “No, the Patriarch cannot have a private life. His life entirely belongs to God and church”, he affirmed. Kirill gave an outline of the priorities he intends to set for his ministry. He pointed out that “the patriarch is the custodian of internal unity in the Church, and, together with his brethren in the hierarchy, the guardian of the purity of the faith”. As relates to the preservation of the unity of the Orthodox Church, the Patriarch said that “this ministry is of particular importance because of the fact that several independent states now exist on the Russian historical space”, in this framework he highlighted the importance of respecting their “sovereignty”. Another “concern” relates to “preaching spiritual and moral values vis à vis the reality of modern life”. Thus, stated the Patriarch, it is a question of “bringing Orthodox faith closer to the thoughts, the dreams and the hopes of individuals, helping them to respond to the complex ethical and philosophical questions of our times”. The Church, ought to be a testimony “of peace” not only in preaching, since it must evolve “within the framework of friendly dialogue and cooperation” between people of different faiths thus contributing to “peaceful coexistence in our society”. The Patriarch then mentioned the dialogue “with brothers in faith of different churches”, ensuring that the Orthodox Church will be “open” to this dialogue “in order to step up and improve cooperation for pastoral and missionary initiatives”. The Patriarch focussed also on the youth “who are in dire need of spiritual guidance, especially today”. He encouraged the clergy “to meet young people, no matter how difficult it is” in order to “help them find faith in God and the meaning of life, and together with this, the realisation that there is genuine human happiness”.More plaudits from the ecumenical world. “It is my earnest hope that we will continue to cooperate in finding ways to foster and strengthen communion in the Body of Christ, in fidelity to our Saviour’s prayer that all may be one, so that the world may believe”, states Pope Benedict XVI’s Letter, accompanied by the gift of a chalice as a “token of the yearning to soon reach full communion”, that was consigned to Patriarch Kirill by Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. In the Letter, the Pope recalled the “inheritance” of Patriarch Alexis II who “maintained a spirit of openness and cooperation with other Christians, and with the Catholic Church in particular, for the defense of Christian values in Europe and in the world. I am certain that Your Holiness will continue to build on this solid foundation, for the good of your people and for the benefit of Christians everywhere”. Also the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I sent a congratulatory message to Kirill conveying his “assurance” that during his Patriarchate the two Churches “will work together in harmony for the glory of God and for the shared witness of Orthodoxy in our contemporary troubled world.” These are important words to the light of the difficulties that emerged in the past two years between the Patriarchates of Moscow and Constantinople. The archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams – who was unable to attend since called to preside the meeting of Anglican primates in Alexandria of Egypt – invited Kirill to England: “there are many difficulties between our Churches – Williams wrote in a message – however the work done by the Anglican-Orthodox doctrinal Commission encourages us to believe that we will engage in a fruitful theological dialogue. It is my deep wish to continue along this line with your help and blessing”.