August 19, 2013
Jackson, NJ: Greetings of the Primates and Representatives of the Russian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian Orthodox Churches at the St. Vladimir’s Day Celebrations

On Sunday, July 28, the feast of the Holy Great Prince Vladimir, Equal-of-the-Apostles, the diocesan celebrations in honor of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’ were held at St. Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, NJ. Upon the completion of Liturgy, representative hierarchs delivered greetings on behalf of the Primates of the Russian (His Holiness Kyrill, Patriarch of Moscow & All Russia) and Ukrainian (His Beatitude Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev & All Ukraine) Orthodox Churches, while a letter from the Primate of the Belorussian Orthodox Church (His Eminence Philaret, Metropolitan of Minsk & Slutsk), was read aloud. The texts of the greetings are available below.

The Greeting of His Eminence Justinian, Archbishop of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, at the Celebrations of the 1025th Anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’

 

Your Eminence, Very Most Reverend Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, beloved in the Lord brother-hierarchs, concelebrant fathers, Your Excellencies – diplomats from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Greece, and other esteemed diplomat circles present here with us today, dear in the Lord brothers and sisters!

 

Allow me to pass along the congratulations and blessing of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill. At all of these great – indeed, Church-wide – celebrations, which began in the Russian Orthodox Church’s preeminent capital of Moscow, and which continue in Kiev ‒ the Mother of Russian Cities, the baptismal font of all Russia ‒ and further, at the celebrations in Minsk, he carries in his heart and mind care, attention, and love for all of us, his spiritual children and his brother archpastors, residing abroad. Please accept his blessing and congratulations, his shared rejoicing, on this occasion of the great triumph of the faith.

 

Dear ones, every single thing on earth necessarily has certain aspects, markers by which that thing is known or recognized. The scholarly world attempts to give everything it sees attendant determining parameters, definitions. In determining what defines an ethnos or people, scholars offer certain markers by which to recognize what constitutes a distinct people. Among these are worldview, a common territory, economic policy; and more ‒ a common culture, a common tongue. And if these markers are all present, then they can say, "This is an ethnos!" And yet we gathered here today consider ourselves a single people of God. But we cannot say that we live in a common territory – in addition to residents, citizens of the United States, we see here Orthodox people come from Canada and other countries and, of course, guests come from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and I cannot even list all of the many nations, whose representatives are present here – Orthodox Serbs, Greeks, and many more! And all of us here consider ourselves a single people of God! Despite, I say again, having neither a common territory, nor even a common tongue – we speak many languages, but nevertheless consider ourselves children of the Orthodox Church.

 

I would especially like to greet those who identify themselves with the Russian Orthodox Church – this is our feast in particular. We are the grandchildren, the children of the Great Prince Vladimir – and this spiritual kinship has brought us into one family: people of various tongues, various tribes and peoples; it has united us and made of us a single people – the people of the Holy Prince Vladimir, Equal-of-the-Apostles, the people of Holy Russia, whose citizens speak different languages, lead varying economic lifestyles, who have no common territory, and have no trouble counting themselves among the people of a great and Holy Russia!

 

I greet you with the feast, my dear ones!

 

The Greeting of His Grace Meletiy, Bishop of Khotin, Vicar of the Diocese of Chernovtsy & Bukovina, at the Celebrations of the 1025th Anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’

 

Your Eminences, Your Graces, dear fathers, brothers, and sisters!

 

Every great feast in the Church reminds us of one or another particular holy event. At the same token, every great feast in the Church demonstrates for us the historical connection with the event we celebrate. Today we celebrate the baptism of our ancestors. This celebrations obligates us not only to remember what happened historically, but also to preserve that which we received from our forebears. This celebration obligates us to realize the responsibility given to us by the Lord when He commanded us to pass on our Faith to our progeny. The Christian, ourselves included, remembers and recognizes that our Faith the Apostolic Faith, that our Faith is the Faith of the Fathers, that our Orthodox Faith has established the universe.

 

Your Eminence, allow me on this blessed, festal day to offer congratulations to all those who have gathered here, beneath the dome of this sacred memorial church, to all the children of the Orthodox Church residing in America and in the whole of the Diaspora – congratulations from the hills of Kiev, from our ancient Dnieper, in which Prince Vladimir baptized our ancestors.

 

With the blessing of His Beatitude, the Most Blessed Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, today I have the honor to address your flock and bear witness, that today in Kiev prayers are being lifted up for all of us who have gathered here. And in this prayer we unite in the same Faith bequeathed unto us by our Enlightener – the Holy Prince Vladimir, Equal-of-the-Apostles.

 

May the Lord keep you, Your Eminence, for the love felt by our Orthodox people who come here from far across the ocean, and who are today nourished by the Orthodox Church Abroad. We believe and know that God’s grace, which always heals that which is infirm, will fortify all of us and allow us to accomplish that great task, that great mission, entrusted to us by the Lord, and which we sense with particular acuity today – the mission of passing on our Faith to those who will come after us.

 

I greet you with the feast!

 

The Greeting of His Eminence Philaret, Metropolitan of Minsk & Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, at the Celebrations of the 1025th Anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’

 

Your Eminence, Dear Metropolitan Hilarion! Your Eminences, Your Graces, reverend fathers, dear brothers and sisters!

 

On this momentous day for the entirety of the Russian Orthodox Church, I sincerely and wholeheartedly congratulate you and the entire God-preserved flock, faithfully entrusted to your care, with the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’ and the 75th anniversary of the founding of St. Vladimir Memorial Church.

 

The Baptism of Rus’ was a matter of conscious decision, the result of the miraculous conversion of Prince Vladimir. This event was intertwined with the prince’s inner transfiguration – from a cruel pagan, he became an example of tenderness and mercy. His princely court was always open to the needy and impoverished, and his banquets were the image of charity and alms for the suffering. Metropolitan Hilarion of Kiev said this of him: "Rejoice, our teacher and instructor in true belief! Thou art clad in righteousness, girded in strength, crowned with reason, and adorned with mercy, as with golden coin and finery. For thou, O honorable captain, wast clothing unto the naked, thou wast a provider to the hungry, wast coolness to the thirsty, thou wast a helper to widows." In this way, from the very inception of Orthodox Christian culture in the Russian lands, in the new frame of reference for their historical events, our people were given an exemplar of Christian rule and a Christian attitude toward the exercise of power. Generations of monarchs, down to the Romanov passion-bearers, would follow this example.

 

The Millennial Celebrations of the Baptism of Rus’ became a monumental historic milestone. The quarter century that has since transpired has been marked by enormous changes in the political, economic, and cultural life of many peoples. After decades of anti-Christian terror began a genuine religious and spiritual renaissance, accompanied by the return of once forcibly confiscated churches and the opening of monastic habitations, the finding of relics of many saints, and the beginning of a broad and active cooperation of ecclesial and social institutions.  That which was once considered unthinkable became reality, confirming the words of Scripture: the things which are impossible with men are possible with God (Luke 18:27). I can attest to the truth of this, which can be witnessed at work in Belarus.

 

His Holiness Kyrill, Patriarch of Moscow & All Russia, characterized the significance of the events to which we are all modern witnesses thusly: "With humility it is to be noted world history has not known such a great and swift religious revival as that which has occurred throughout the territory of historical Rus’ over the past twenty-five years. We render our sincere thanks to God, who is the Lord of history, for the mercy which he has shown to our peoples. From our hearts we thank all those who have through their labors responded to this compelling divine grace and made all of this possible."

 

On this festal day for all of us, on behalf of the Synod of the Belorussian Orthodox Church and all of her faithful children, I congratulate you and wish you, Your Eminence, and your whole flock, God’s grace-filled and almighty aid. May our Lord and God Jesus Christ, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother and the intercessions of the holy Grand Prince Vladimir, Equal-of-the-Apostles, grant you peace, health, and well-being, preserving you for many and blessed years!

 

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