Patriarch Kirill marks his 63rd birthday

Patriarch Kirill, enthroned as the 16th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in February 2009, marked his 63rd birthday on Friday. The birthdays of patriarchs are not widely celebrated in the Russian Orthodox Church as they are considered personal. Instead, the church celebrates the patriarch’s name day on May 24, the day of his patron saints Cyril and Methodius, the Greek brothers born in Thessaloniki in the 9th century, who became the missionaries of Christianity to the Slavic peoples.

Kirill was elevated to the rank of metropolitan on February 25, 1991. As the archbishop of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, a rank he held from 1984 to 2008, he supervised the construction of 143 churches and the restoration of 65 others. A theological school was founded during his time in office in Smolensk in 1988, the first such school since World War II. In 1993, it became an ecclesiastical seminary.

Photo: 1991. Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad during a festive mass in the Cathedral of the Assumption in Smolensk.

In 1994, during his time as metropolitan, Kirill created a weekly TV show, “Pastor’s Word,” on Channel One, which proved very popular. He also contributed to the creation of several other similar shows.

Photo: 2003. Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad during the dedication of the first Russian-Belarusian Orthodox church in the village of Beregovoye, Kaliningrad Region.

Metropolitan Kirill has been awarded several church decorations and state orders, including: the Order of People’s Friendship (1988), the Order of Friendship (1996), and the Order of Services to the Fatherland (3rd Class in 2000 and 2nd Class in 2006).

Photo: 2006. Patriarch Alexy II and Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad in the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Kaliningrad.

Metropolitan Kirill was elected Patriarchal Locum Tenens by secret vote at an extraordinary meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on December 6, 2008, the day after Patriarch Alexy II passed away. On January 27, 2009, the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church elected Metropolitan Kirill the 16th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

Metropolitan Kirill was enthroned as the 16th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia on February 1, 2009 in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the patriarchate is a post for life.

The patriarch is responsible for implementing decisions taken by Local Councils and the Holy Synod; he maintains the unity of the Church’s hierarchy and supervises all synodal bodies. The patriarch makes pastoral addresses to the Plentitude of the Russian Orthodox Church, signs church documents approved by the Holy Synod, and holds executive and management powers over the Moscow Patriarchate.

Photo: March 2009. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia conducting mass in the Church of St. Tatiana at Moscow State University.

August 2009. President Dmitry Medvedev and Patriarch Kirill during their meeting in the Gorki residence outside Moscow.