Patriarch of Moscow has consecrated a reconstructed ex-Anglican Cathedral as a new Orthodox Cathedral in London, UK
Hundreds of people including the Archbishop of Canterbury and Prince Michael of Kent gathered in London’s Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints to attend a historic service conducted by the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church.
Up to one thousand people attended the ceremonies on Sunday, according to the patriarch’s press service. Click here for RT International video news report.
The service included the consecration of London’s largest Orthodox Christian Cathedral, which had undergone a major refurbishment, and the Divine Liturgy, commemorating the 300th anniversary of the presence of the Russian Orthodox Church in the British Isles. During the service Patriarch Kirill prayed for “all the Saints who shone forth in the British land”and dedicated the Orthodox hymn “Many Years” to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom and Russia.
After the Service, Patriarch Kirill addressed the people who gathered for festivities, emphasizing that both the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church of England play a critical role in international relations and peace building, even under the current political circumstances.
“The Church is a community open to everyone, [it] erases all human controversies. Even a very rich man stands next to the poor one, high-ranking officials stand next to the common people. The Church should also play a role in international relations. Through faith, through the church the soul of a nation is manifested.”
“These two nations connected by centuries-old history know and respect one another. Hopefully this potential will develop further for a better future in the relations between our peoples,” the patriarch conveyed.
He remembered with gratitude Anthony of Sourozh, the founder and for many years bishop – then archbishop, then metropolitan – of the Diocese of Sourozh, the Patriarchate of Moscow’s diocese for Great Britain and Ireland. The patriarch said that he helped the residents of the British Isles understand Russian Orthodoxy and focused on improving the relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church of England.
Patriarch Kirill also commemorated the reunification of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) and the Russian Orthodox Church. The two reunited in 2007 after 80 years of separation following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
“The London community has mirrored the most difficult time in the history of our country and our church,” Patriarch Kirill stressed.
Among hundreds of attendees, Prince Michael of Kent, first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, attended the holy Service. He is distantly related to the Russian royal Romanov dynasty, shows a great interest in Russia and takes part in a number of charitable projects.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Bishop of London Richard Chartres also attended the events, along with representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the UK’s local Orthodox Churches, the Diocese of Sourozh and parishes from different parts of England, Scotland and Ireland, senior British officials, members of parliament, as well as ambassadors. Some 900 invitations had been handed out prior to the event, but when the Service started, anyone who wanted to attend the service was allowed to enter.
Patriarch Kirill is to spend four days in London. It is his first visit to the UK in his current role.
It’s also the first time in 25 years that the Head of the Russian Orthodox Church has visited the country. Prior to this, Patriarch Alexy II, Patriarch Kirill’s predecessor, visited the country in 1991, and prior to him the then-First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexy I, visited the UK in 1946. During his trip, the patriarch is scheduled to meet the local Orthodox congregations and representatives of the Orthodox Church, as well as Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Slava Tebiye Boxhe !
As a former member of the Diocese of Sourozh between 1986 and 2006, I must point out that the Cathedral in Ennismore Gardens was properly consecrated for Orthodox worship in December 1956. So Kirill’s attempt to reconsecrate was both unnecessary and offensive – as well as uncanonical, as no church can ever be consecrated twice. Of course Kirill may have consecrated it to some religion other than Orthodox Christianity, which given the recent history of the Moscow Patriarchate and its glorification of Russian State power, over and above the Gospel, seems entirely plausible.
Or, as is the Orthodox tradition, the cathedral was reconsecrated after major renovations. You know, you could always ask the clergy there why it was done, rather than assume the Patriarch of Moscow is working for the evil one. If you did, you’ll see it was a normal thing, made exceptional only in that it was done by the Patriarch.