On November 20, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi, Administrator of the Diocese of the Philippines and Vietnam, celebrated a thanksgiving service on the occasion of the birthday of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, at the Church of the Nativity of Christ in Tagaytay, Philippines.
His Eminence was assisted by Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev), Secretary of the Diocese of the Philippines and Vietnam; Hegumen Anthony (Kirpichev), Secretary of the Khanty-Mansiysk Diocese; and Priest David Grubbs, Rector of the church. Deacon Daniil Matveyev led the service.
At the end of the service, Bishop Pavel addressed those gathered:
“Dear fathers, brothers, and sisters! Today we have gathered to perform a prayer service and congratulate the Primate of our Church, His Holiness, His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’!
Today, His Holiness celebrates his birthday, the day of God’s favor in his birth. We have prayed for his health and for his long life, that the Lord will bless him and grant him many years of health and long life. I hope that the Lord hears our prayers and will certainly, of course, not abandon the Primate, nor our Church, which he leads, and, of course, all of us, as children of His Church.
“Pray for one another, that ye may be healed,” the Lord speaks to us. And we pray especially today for the Primate of our Church, His Holiness, His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow. Kirill and all of Rus’, that the Lord grant him spiritual and physical strength to steer the ship of our Church during these difficult times in which we all live.
We know that no one but the Lord God governs all living things on Earth and all that happens. Without the will of God, nothing can happen. Therefore, we ask that God’s will be fulfilled for our Primate, for our Church, and for peace throughout the world. As Saint Seraphim of Sarov said: “Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved.” This means living peacefully with everyone, spreading peace, and where there is peace, there is the Lord, there is Love. This is the foundation of our faith, the foundation of our life on Earth. Let us pray to the Almighty that the Lord will not abandon us and, of course, our Church, and that He will grant us, our entire Church, and all Orthodox Christians, a peaceful and prosperous life.”
