Orthodox Christians Pray for Russia’s Church

On April 22, Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill held a liturgy in downtown Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral, during which he urged believers to take part in the nationwide prayer outside the Cathedral “for our faith, our Church, our sacred objects and our Motherland.”

About 65,000 Orthodox Church believers gathered at Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral on Sunday for a nationwide prayer in defense of the faith and desecrated sacred objects, Russia's Interrior Ministry said.

Bishops and priests led by Patriarch Kirill prayed together with Orthodox Church believers in front of sacred objects outside of the cathedral, including ones that were recently desecrated by vandals.

Priests and believers also prayed that those who desecrated sacred objects in a series of recent blasphemous actions across Russia change their ways, and for good reputation of the Church.

Sacred Orthodox objects were specially brought to the Cathedral for one day. Among the relics there was a 3.5-meter crucifix cut by an attacker in a cathedral in the Southern Russian city of Nevinnomyssk. There are also five of the 30 icons cut with an ax in the town of Veliky Ustyug this March; the Virgin Mary icon, shot with bullets in the early 1920s, was also brought from the same city.

Vandalism and church desecration cases have become more frequent in Russia after a female punk group performed what it called “a punk prayer” in February next to the Christ the Savior Cathedral’s main altar, which is off-limits to all but priests.

Patriarch Kirill said he hoped the nationwide prayer would “multiply our spiritual strength” to fight against faithlessness.

Separate prayers were also held in front of other Russian cathedrals.

The Church has been involved in a number of high-profile scandals recently. Top Church officials have been criticized by bloggers and opposition media for their “lavish” lifestyles.