His Holiness Patriarch

Patriarch

 

His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill (in the world Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyaev) was born on November 20, 1946 in Leningrad.

Father - Gundyaev Mikhail Vasilyevich, priest, died in 1974. Mother - Gundyaeva Raisa Vladimirovna, a German language teacher at school, in recent years a housewife, died in 1984. The elder brother is Archpriest Nikolai Gundyaev, professor of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Grandfather - Priest Vasily Stepanovich Gundyaev, a prisoner of Solovki, who was subjected to imprisonment and exile for church activities and the fight against renovationism in the 20s, 30s and 40s of the twentieth century.

After graduating from the 8th grade of high school, Vladimir Gundyaev joined the Leningrad Complex Geological Expedition of the North-Western Geological Directorate, where he worked from 1962 to 1965 as a cartographic technician, combining work with studying at high school.

After graduating from high school in 1965, he entered the Leningrad Theological Seminary, and then the Leningrad Theological Academy, from which he graduated with honors in 1970.

On April 3, 1969, Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) of Leningrad and Novgorod was tonsured a monk with the name Kirill. On April 7 he was ordained a hierodeacon, and on June 1 of the same year - a hieromonk.

Since 1970 - Candidate of Theology at the Leningrad Theological Academy.

From 1970 to 1971 - teacher of dogmatic theology and assistant inspector of Leningrad theological schools; at the same time - personal secretary of Metropolitan Nikodim of Leningrad and Novgorod and class teacher of the 1st class of the seminary.

On September 12, 1971, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.

From 1971 to 1974 - representative of the Moscow Patriarchate at the World Council of Churches in Geneva.

From December 26, 1974 to December 26, 1984 - rector of the Leningrad Theological Academy and Seminary. In 1974-1984. - Associate Professor of the Department of Patrolology of the Leningrad Theological Academy.

On March 14, 1976 he was consecrated Bishop of Vyborg. On September 2, 1977, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.

Since December 26, 1984 - Archbishop of Smolensk and Vyazemsky.

Since 1986 - manager of parishes in the Kaliningrad region.

Since 1988 - Archbishop of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.

From November 13, 1989 to 2009 - Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (since August 2000 - Department for External Church Relations), permanent member of the Holy Synod.

On February 25, 1991, he was elevated to the rank of metropolitan.

On January 27, 2009, the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church elected Metropolitan Kirill Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.

The enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill took place on February 1, 2009 in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Fulfilling the obediences of the Hierarchy, His Eminence Kirill was:

  • from 1975 to 1982 - Chairman of the Diocesan Council of the Leningrad Metropolis;
  • from 1975 to 1998 - Member of the Central Committee and the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches;
  • from 1976 to 1978 - Deputy Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe;
  • from 1976 to 1984 - Member of the Holy Synod Commission on Christian Unity;
  • from 1978 to 1984 - Manager of the Patriarchal parishes in Finland;
  • from 1978 to 1984 — Deputy Chairman of the branch of the Department for External Church Relations in Leningrad;
  • from 1980 to 1988 — member of the commission for the preparation and holding of the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus';
  • in 1990 - member of the commission for the preparation of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church;
  • in 1990 - member of the commission to promote efforts to overcome the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant;
  • from 1989 to 1996 - manager of the Orthodox Hungarian deanery;
  • from 1990 to 1991 — temporary administrator of the Hague-Netherlands diocese;
  • from 1990 to 1993 - temporary manager of the Korsun diocese;
  • from 1990 to 1993 - Chairman of the Holy Synod Commission for the Revival of Religious and Moral Education and Charity;
  • from 1990 to 2000 - Chairman of the Holy Synod commission on amending the Charter on the governance of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Charter was adopted at the Jubilee Council of Bishops in 2000;
  • from 1994 to 2002 — Member of the Public Council for the Revival of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior;
  • from 1994 to 1996 — Member of the Foreign Policy Council of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
  • from 1995 to 2000 - Chairman of the Synodal Working Group for the development of the Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church on issues of church-state relations and problems of modern society as a whole;
  • from 1995 to 1999 - Member of the Russian Organizing Committee for the preparation and holding of events in connection with the celebration of memorable dates of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945;
  • from 1996 to 2000 - Member of the Supervisory Board of the 50th Anniversary of the Victory Foundation.

At the time of his election to the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Kirill appeared:

  • permanent member of the Holy Synod (since 1989);
  • Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (since 1989);
  • manager of the Patriarchal parishes in Finland (since 1990);
  • member of the Synodal Theological Commission (since February 26, 1994);
  • member of the Patriarchal and Synodal Biblical Commission (since 1990);
  • co-chairman (since 1993) and deputy head (since 1995) of the World Russian People's Council, chairman of the Smolensk (since 1996) and Kaliningrad (since 1997) branches of the VRNS;
  • member of the Council of the Zemstvo Movement (since 1993);
  • member of the Russian Palestinian Society;
  • author and host of the weekly television program “The Word of the Shepherd” on Channel One (since 1994);
  • honorary president of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (since 1994);
  • member of the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation (since 1995);
  • member of the Commission under the President of the Russian Federation for State Prizes in the field of literature and art (since 1995);
  • honorary member of the Moscow Intellectual and Business Club (since 1995);
  • co-chairman of the Christian Interfaith Advisory Committee (since 1996);
  • member of the Presidium of the Interreligious Council of Russia (since 1998);
  • editor-in-chief of the magazines “Church and Time” (since 1991), “Smolensk Diocesan Gazette” (since 1993), “Orthodox Pilgrim” (since 2001);
  • member of the church-scientific council for the publication of the Orthodox Encyclopedia (since 1999);
  • member of the Supervisory Board of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (since 2002);
  • co-chairman of the Council of European Religious Leaders (since 2002);
  • Chairman of the organizing committee of the exhibition “Orthodox Rus'” (since 2003);
  • co-chairman of the Working Group on interaction of the Russian Orthodox Church with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia (since 2003);
  • Chairman of the Executive Committee of the CIS Interreligious Council (since 2004);
  • member of the Presidium of the CIS Interreligious Council (since 2004);
  • member of the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation (since 2004);
  • Chairman of the Commission for the Affairs of Old Believer Parishes and for Interaction with the Old Believers (since 2005);
  • chairman of the working group to draw up a conceptual document outlining the position of the Russian Orthodox Church in the field of interreligious relations (since 2005);
  • Chairman of the working group for the preparation of a document expressing the position of the Russian Orthodox Church on the problems of globalization (since 2005);
  • member of the Joint Commission on National Policy and Relations between the State and Religious Associations (since 2006);
  • co-chairman of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (since 2006);
  • head of the working group for the development of the “Fundamentals of the teaching of the Russian Orthodox Church on dignity, freedom and human rights”;
  • Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne (since December 6, 2008).

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill:

  • since 1987 - honorary doctor of theology from the Theological Academy in Budapest;
  • since 1986 - honorary member of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy;
  • since 1992 - member of the Academy of Creativity;
  • since 1994 - honorary member of the International Academy of Eurasia;
  • since 1996 - honorary professor of the Military Academy (now University) of Air Defense of the Ground Forces;
  • since 1997 - full member of the Academy of Russian Literature;
  • since 2002 - full member of the Academy of Social Sciences and Humanities (since 2003 - Public Russian Academy of Social Sciences);
  • since 2002 - Honorary Doctor of Political Science from the State University of Perugia (Italy);
  • since 2004 - honorary doctor of theology from the Christian Academy of Warsaw (Poland);
  • since 2004 - honorary professor of Smolensk Humanitarian University;
  • since 2005 - honorary professor at Astrakhan University;
  • since 2005 - honorary doctor of the Russian State Social University;
  • since 2006 - honorary professor at the Baltic Naval Institute named after Admiral Fyodor Ushakov;
  • since 2007 - honorary president of the Academy of Russian Literature;
  • since 2007 - honorary doctor of the St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University;
  • since 2009 - honorary doctor of theology of the Kyiv Theological Academy;
  • since 2009 - honorary doctor of theology from the Institute of Theology. St. Cyril and Methodius of the Belarusian State University;
  • since 2009 - honorary doctor of theology of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy;
  • since 2009 - honorary doctor of the Russian Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation;
  • since 2010 - honorary doctor of the National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI";
  • since 2010 - honorary professor at the Military Academy of the Strategic Missile Forces named after Peter the Great;
  • since 2010 - honorary doctor of Petrozavodsk State University;
  • since 2010 - honorary doctor of Yerevan State University;
  • since 2010 - honorary doctor of the Odessa National Law Academy;
  • since 2010 - honorary doctor of Dnepropetrovsk National University. Olesya Gonchar (honoris causa);
  • since 2010 - honorary doctor of theology of the Moscow Theological Academy (honoris causa);
  • since 2011 - honorary doctor of Voronezh State University (honoris causa).

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' is the author of the following books:

  • “The formation and development of the church hierarchy and the teaching of the Orthodox Church about its gracious character” (Leningrad, 1971);
  • “Challenges of modern civilization. How the Orthodox Church responds to them” (M., 2002);
  • “The Word of the Shepherd. God and man. History of Salvation" (M., 2004);
  • “L'Evangile et la liberte. Les valeurs de la Tradition dans la societe laique" (Paris, 2006);
  • “Freedom and Responsibility: In Search of Harmony” (M., 2008);
  • “The Church Calls for Unity” (Minsk, 2010);
  • “Sermons 2009-2010” (Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, 2010);
  • as well as 1580 publications, including publications in domestic and foreign periodicals.

The series of television programs “The Word of the Shepherd” - Introduction to Orthodox Faith - have been published; “Word-Sacrament-Church” - History of the early Christian Church and teaching about the Church; “Anniversary Council of Bishops” - Fundamentals of the social concept - Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church - Acts on canonization, “Attitude towards heterodoxy”; “The Word of the Shepherd” - Church, state, politics (part 1), Church, personality, society (part 2), About faith and salvation (part 3). A series of Lenten sermons has been published on audio media.

Invited to give lectures in Rome (1972), at the University of Helsinki, at the Abu Academy in Turku, at the Orthodox Seminary in Kuopio (Finland, 1975), at the Ecumenical Institute in Bosse (Switzerland, 1972, 1973), at the University of Münster (Germany, 1988), at the university Udine (Italy, 1988), to the State University of Perugia (Italy, 2002), to the Christian Academy of Warsaw (Poland, 2004).

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill has worked and is working in the field of inter-Orthodox relations. He was the first representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Syndesmos - the World Brotherhood of Orthodox youth organizations. From 1971 to 1977 - Member of the Syndesmos Executive Committee; participant of the VIII (Boston, 1971), IX (Geneva, 1977), X (Finland, 1980) and XIV (Moscow, 1992) General Assemblies of this organization; participant of the first Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference (Chambesy, 1976) and the Inter-Orthodox Commission for the preparation of the Holy and Great Council of the Eastern Orthodox Church (Chambesy, 1993, 1999); main speaker at the Orthodox consultation “Common Understanding and Vision of the WCC” (Chambesy, 1995); participant in the Pan-Orthodox Consultation on Ecumenism (Thessaloniki, 1998) and the Meeting of the Heads of Local Orthodox Churches on healing the Bulgarian church schism (Sofia, 1998); participant of the Pan-Orthodox celebration of 2000 years of Christianity in Bethlehem on January 7, 2000; participant in negotiations between the Moscow and Constantinople Patriarchates (Istanbul, 1977, Geneva, 1978, Istanbul 1990, Moscow, 1991, Istanbul, 1993) and regular consultations on current problems between the two Churches; conducted negotiations with the Orthodox Church of Constantinople on Estonia and with the Romanian Orthodox Church on the problem of the Bessarabian Metropolis in Moldova (twice in 1997 in Geneva, Chisinau, 1999).

In 2005, as the head of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, he took part in the enthronement of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem.

As part of official delegations, he visited all Local Orthodox Churches, including accompanying His Holiness Patriarch Pimen and His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II on their trips abroad.

He took part in the work of inter-Christian organizations. As a delegate, he participated in the IV (Uppsala, Sweden, 1968), V (Nairobi, Kenya, 1975), VI (Vancouver, Canada, 1983) and VII (Canberra, Australia, 1991) General Assemblies of the WCC; at the World Missionary Conference "Salvation Today" (Bangkok, 1973); was president of the World Conference on Faith, Science and the Future (Boston, 1979) and the World Convocation on Peace, Justice and Integrity of Creation (Seoul, 1990); participated in the assemblies of the Commission “Faith and Order” of the WCC in Accra (Ghana, 1974), in Lima (Peru, 1982), in Budapest (Hungary, 1989).

Fulfilling the instructions of the Hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, he took part in contacts with the Churches of the USA, Japan, East Germany, Germany, Finland, Italy, Switzerland, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, France, Spain, Norway, Iceland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ethiopia, Australia, New Zealand, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Laos, Jamaica, Canada, Congo, Zaire, Argentina, Chile, Cyprus, China, South Africa, Greece.

He was a member of the Local Jubilee Council of the Russian Orthodox Church (June 1988, Zagorsk), chairman of its Editorial Commission and the author of the draft Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, adopted by the Jubilee Council. He was a participant in the Council of Bishops dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate (October 1989) and the extraordinary Council of Bishops on January 30-31, 1990, as well as the Local Council on June 6-10, 1990, the Councils of Bishops on October 25-26, 1991; March 31 - April 4, 1992; June 11, 1992; November 29 - December 2, 1994; February 18-23, 1997; August 13-16, 2000; October 3-6, 2004, June 24-29, 2008

Represented the Russian Orthodox Church in the commissions for the development of the RSFSR Law “On Freedom of Religion” dated October 25, 1990 and the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations” dated September 26, 1997. He took part in developing the church position and peacekeeping actions during the events of August 1991 and October 1993.

He was one of the initiators of the creation of the World Russian People's Council in 1993.

As chairman of the Holy Synod's commission for the revival of religious and moral education and charity, he initiated the creation of Synodal departments for religious education, social service and charity, and interaction with the armed forces and law enforcement agencies. He was the author of the Concept for the revival of charity and religious education, adopted by the Holy Synod on January 30, 1991. He developed and submitted for approval to the Holy Synod the “Concept of interaction of the Russian Orthodox Church with the Armed Forces” in 1994.

From 1996 to 2000 — led the development and presented to the Anniversary Council of Bishops in 2000 “Fundamentals of the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church.”

He took an active part in normalizing the church situation in Estonia. In this regard, he visited the Antioch and Jerusalem Patriarchates (trips to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel in 1996), and also participated in negotiations with representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Zurich (Switzerland) in March and twice in April 1996, in Thessaloniki, Tallinn and Athens (1996), in Odessa (1997 g.), in Geneva (1998), in Moscow, Geneva and Zurich (2000), in Vienna, Berlin and Zurich (2001), in Moscow and Istanbul (2003). In the same regard, he repeatedly visited Estonia, where he held negotiations with government representatives, parliament members and business circles of this country.

He took an active part in peacekeeping actions in Yugoslavia. He visited Belgrade several times during the war, negotiated with the leadership of this country, initiated the creation of an informal international Christian peacekeeping group on Yugoslavia (Vienna, May 1999) and the convening of an international inter-Christian conference on the topic: “Europe after the Kosovo crisis: further actions of the Churches” in Oslo (Norway) in November 1999.

Administration of the Russian Orthodox Church

In 2009, a reform of the central bodies of church government was adopted. The activities of the Administrative Office of the Moscow Patriarchate were fundamentally reorganized, the scope of activity of the Department for External Church Relations was clarified, new Synodal departments were created, the functions of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate were separated, analytical work was carried out to formulate the necessary changes in the structure of the Educational Committee under the Holy Synod and in the system of spiritual education in general. The activities of the All-Church Court have been intensified.

In 2010, the Charter of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service was updated, the powers and structures of the Management of Monastery Affairs were clarified; The Secretariat for Foreign Institutions was transformed into the Office of the Moscow Patriarchate. The activities of the Metropolitan District in the Republic of Kazakhstan have been intensified: its Charter and Internal Regulations have been adopted, and new dioceses have been formed in this country.

New church-wide institutions were formed:

  • Department for Church-Society Relations (2009);
  • Synodal Information Department (2009);
  • Financial and economic management (2009);
  • Inter-conciliar presence of the Russian Orthodox Church (2009);
  • Church-wide postgraduate and doctoral studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius (2009);
  • Synodal Committee for Interaction with the Cossacks (2010);
  • Synodal Department for Prison Ministry (2010);
  • Patriarchal Council for Culture (2010).

New dioceses and metropolises were formed

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His Holiness Patriarch Kirill was awarded the orders of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Georgian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Hellenic, Polish, Czech lands and Slovakia, the American and Finnish Orthodox Churches, the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Malankara Church (India).

Also awarded the orders of the Russian Orthodox Church: Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, II degree; Saint Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, II degree; Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow, 1st degree; St. Sergius of Radonezh, I and II degrees; Saint Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow, II degree.

Among the state awards are the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1988); Order of Friendship (1996); Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree (2000); Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (2006); medal "65 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" (Transnistrian Moldavian Republic, 2010); Order "Sharaf" (Republic of Azerbaijan, 2010); Order of Alexander Nevsky (2011); the highest order of the Republic of Moldova is the Order of the Republic (2011).

In 1993, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2010. The Moscow Biographical Institute elected him “Person of the Year” in the “Religion” category.