The British are reluctant to change centuries-old traditions. Of interest to guests of the country are the traditions associated with the royal court and parliament, which most often take the form of various ceremonies performed by the queen and her family.
The Queen officially opens a new session of Parliament every year, usually in October or November. She and the Duke of Edinburgh travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster in the State Coach. Before the Queen and her entourage enter the Houses of Parliament, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars of the building. This tradition has been observed since 1605, when a group of conspirators tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Nowadays, police officers help the palace guards in their search for explosives.
Awards are held at Buckingham Palace exactly twenty times a year. They are also sometimes held at Edinburgh Palace and outside the United Kingdom. Each awards ceremony is attended by up to 150 candidates, each of whom can invite up to three guests. The Queen enters the hall, accompanied by two officers. A military band is playing. The Queen or other member of the royal family who conducts the ceremony stands throughout the ceremony, which lasts just over an hour. After the band has played the national anthem, the Lord Chamberlain speaks in turn the name of each candidate and the reason for which he is being honored. The Queen then pins the award on the lucky winner's chest and congratulates him. At this ceremony, the Queen also knights.
More than 30 thousand people attend receptions in the Royal Gardens every year. Every summer there are at least three receptions at Buckingham Palace and one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh (the capital of Scotland). These receptions have been carried out since the 1860s. In the 50s of the 20th century, the number of receptions in the gardens of Buckingham Palace was increased from two to three per year. Sometimes the Queen gives an extra garden party, which is held for a large national organization that celebrates a milestone, such as the Red Cross or to mark the Year of the Invalid People. People from all spheres of society are selected for admission: from the government, the armed forces, the diplomatic corps. Invitations are sent by the Lord Chamberlain on behalf of the Queen. At the reception, which is usually held from 16 to 18 hours, up to 8 thousand guests are present.
The Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, along with other members of the royal family, walk among guests after the British national anthem is played. Each of the royal family members walks their own path through the garden with the goal that each of the guests has the opportunity to be introduced and communicate with the royalty. During receptions, music is played in turn by two military bands. The Queen and other members of her family eventually arrive at the royal tent, where they drink tea. Also at the reception there is a separate tent for the diplomatic corps and all other guests. Tea and sweets are served. Around 6 p.m., the royal family leaves the garden and the orchestra plays the British anthem once more to mark the end of the reception.
The Queen is the official head of the United Kingdom as well as the British Commonwealth of Nations. The British Foreign Office sends out invitations to heads of other states. Usually each year the Queen receives representatives from two foreign countries. Each of these visits lasts from Tuesday to Friday, during which the foreign head of state not only has time to meet the Queen, the Prime Minister, ministers, leaders of political parties and heads of diplomatic missions in London, but also attend a state banquet in his honor, give a return banquet and a day out of London and Edinburgh during which he or she experiences other aspects of British life.
The Whitehall Memorial Day Ceremony takes place on the second Sunday in November, when the people join the Queen in paying tribute to those killed in the two world wars and other military conflicts of the twentieth century. The Queen, other members of the royal family, members of the armed forces and leaders of the country's political parties hold two minutes' silence at the memorial to those killed in Whitehall. The Queen and all those present then lay wreaths at the monument, after which a short service is held, the orchestra plays the British anthem and the Queen leaves. War veterans march past the monument, paying tribute to the dead. There is a tradition of the monarch giving alms on Maundy Thursday during Holy Week. This ceremony is held in one of the country's cathedrals or abbeys and the money is given to pensioners living in the parish. This tradition dates back to the 13th century, when kings distributed food and clothing to the poor and sick.
16:05 19.11.2013
The best way to feel the real Norway is at its main tourist attraction - the Troll Staircase, or Troll Road.
It’s interesting that the Norwegians themselves consider this road to be an attraction for the whole country. One cannot but agree with this, given such a fabulous name and the views that open to tourists who dare to travel the entire path of the “Troll Staircase”.
The Troll Road is part of the national road RV63, a narrow serpentine road 106 kilometers long with 11 sharp turns and many viewing platforms. The road is really very narrow in some places and there are no safety barriers. A trip along the “Troll Road” will greatly excite you, but here you must always be careful and attentive.
Reviews from tourists: “In the evening the road is also illuminated, very beautiful. But it’s not easy for us to get down even during the day, despite the fact that the driver has been driving for 25 years. Narrow road, 180 degree turns. On the turns of the site, otherwise you won’t be able to pass oncoming traffic,” says tourist Anatoly on the website forum.awd.ru.
The masterpiece of engineering is located in the Romsdal valley on the hills of three giant mountains: Mount King, Queen and Bishop. This painting will undoubtedly create a magical backdrop during your trip. Be sure to pay attention to the signs “Beware of trolls!” near the road.
Reviews from tourists: “The Troll Road is notable for the fact that this serpentine is visible in its entirety both from above and from below. All these turns and this thread of asphalt are like a lace untied and thrown,” tourist Evgenia shares her impressions on the website forum.awd.ru.
By the way, one of the most famous observation decks in Norway is also included in the Troll Stairs route.
We are talking about Aurland Look, which at an altitude of 600 meters allows you to see one of the most beautiful fjords in Norway in all its glory. The platform is made in the form of a wooden slide, which at one moment sharply goes down. In this place there is crystal clear glass, you won’t see it right away. One gets the impression that you can simply jump into the abyss.
Where is the road: in the county of Møre og Romsdal, in the Vestland region, in the southwestern part of Norway.
How to get there: The town of Åndalsnes is the starting point for traveling along the picturesque Troll Staircase. Day and night express buses depart from Oslo to Åndalsnesom, passing Gudbrandsdalen and Romsdalen, 3 times a day. Travel time is about eight hours.
About the true essence of the patriarch's visit to England.
In October 2016, an event occurred that was largely ignored by the world’s main media, publicists and analysts, although in its scale and significance it should have eclipsed the war in Syria, the conflict between the West and Russia, and the presidential elections in the United States.
From October 15-18, Patriarch Kirill paid an official visit to Great Britain and met with Queen Elizabeth
(cm. “For this reason I met with the Pope”: Patriarch Kirill summed up his visit to Great Britain).
The official reason for the visit was the consecration of the Orthodox Cathedral of Ennismore Gardens, London, a former Anglican cathedral « church", which the Russian Orthodox Church has used since 1950. But what upset the Western press and commentators most of all was not this fact, but the meeting of Patriarch Kirill with Queen Elizabeth.
Waiting for the Apocalypse
In the Patriarch, Western commentators, first of all, saw Putin’s envoy, who came with the goal of influencing British policy regarding Russia and Syria. Some even linked the blocking of RT accounts by the British state bank NatWest with attempts by the British government to put counter-pressure on Russia in order to neutralize the results of Patriarch Kirill’s visit to the Queen. However, the words spoken by Elizabeth during the meeting puzzled everyone and completely shattered the expectations of politicians and journalists.
The conversation turned to the Apocalypse, a future world war and the unification of all Christians in global opposition to evil. In the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Queen Elizabeth said unexpected words: “Now we need to make the necessary preparations, say goodbye to our loved ones, since it is impossible to guess who will live and who will die. Many will die in these last days." "My beloved country is about to enter its darkest period in history in the coming months, as a brutal and apocalyptic war begins in the East." “I don't care about little things like Christmas. I am concerned about the dire consequences we must face. The war drums are beating ever louder.".
Patriarch Kirill responded to the queen more cautiously, calling on all countries to unite in confronting Evil. "Today's war on terrorism must be fought together." “This struggle is not only for Russia. This is a war of all countries, we must unite to defeat this evil. I call this war Holy.” In a press statement, Kirill's secretary Alexander Volkov said the dialogue " dedicated to the situation of Christians in Europe" So what " The Church also has a role to play in international relations. Through faith, through the Church, the soul of the nation is manifested" These statements almost completely echo the words of Pope Francis, which he said back in July 2016 (see. Connected by one goal: About world government, the Vatican and the ecumenical course in Orthodoxy).
What is the reason for such a frank conversation between the queen and our patriarch? Journalist and political scientist Seth Ferris tried to find the reason in part in his article RT’s Bank Accounts Closed - It’s Nothing to Do With Syria for the online magazine New Eastern Outlook.
Fashion for Orthodoxy among the Windsors
In addition to the standard versions of the arrest of RT accounts due to Russia’s policy in Syria and the sanctions war, Ferris cites a number of very interesting facts about the connections of the royal house of Windsor with Orthodoxy. First of all, it should be understood that Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain is also the head of the Anglican “Church”, and she met with Patriarch Kirill in this capacity (see. Liberal monarchy? The Patriarch and the Prime Minister presented the “New Jerusalem” with a Tsar’s icon with the impostor Kirillovichs).
In Great Britain, it turns out that about 7% of the population consider themselves to be members of the Orthodox Church. The Queen's husband, Prince Philip, was born and baptized Orthodox as a Prince of Greece. At the time of his marriage, he changed his faith to Anglican, as required by the law of succession to the throne. However, then he secretly and privately returned to Orthodoxy. It is known that Prince Philip makes very generous donations to Orthodox churches, and is also a patron of the Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge.
Prince Charles also has a long-standing interest in Orthodoxy. Because of these sympathies, among other things, he refused to join Freemasonry, although membership in the Masonic lodge is a necessary attribute of the English elite. The facts that the heir to the throne is gravitating toward the faith of his father, which could lead to a weakening of the sacred ties between Anglicanism and the state and shake the foundations of English statehood, are of great concern to the British elite.
Perhaps it was because of their pressure that in the spring of this year, reports appeared about Queen Elizabeth’s readiness to abdicate the throne in favor of her eldest grandson, Prince William. Moreover, many people predict the fate of the latter as the king of Jerusalem, or in the Orthodox tradition - the Antichrist.
There is even a video where, almost immediately after Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton, at a reception in their honor on June 09, 2011, an installation of the devil devouring a lamb hovered above the guests.
Many analysts and politicians in Russia sincerely did not understand then why such an ordinary event in an ordinary European monarchy was given so much attention on Russian TV and in the Russian media. Then, thanks to Russian television, it seemed that there was nothing in the world except the royal wedding in London. And only now, more than 5 years later, the reason for such attention begins to emerge.
Although the divorce and subsequent marriage of Elizabeth’s son and heir to the throne, Prince Charles, does not contradict the order of succession to the British throne, when the throne is transferred to Charles, serious unrest may arise in society and the elite due to his controversial marriage and rather advanced age. But the candidacies of Prince William, his children and brother do not raise such doubts. It is likely that the Russian throne is destined for Prince Charles due to his sympathies for Orthodoxy and his Orthodox father.
Back in June 2012, an article about the family ties between the houses of Windsor and Romanov appeared on the website of the BBC Russian service. Now this article is beginning to look in a completely different light, as preparation of public opinion and its sounding on the subject of a possible candidacy of a representative of the House of Windsor for the Russian throne.
In addition to these connections, according to British puppeteers, the great-great-great-grandson of Nicholas I Romanov, the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, Michael, Prince of Kent, also has some rights to the Russian throne. But he is unlikely to be able to play an active role now due to his advanced age.
Monarchy in the USA?
We see clear activity from the House of Windsor to the east. What about in the West? And in the West, in the United States of America, the situation is even more interesting. The presidential campaign, which has not yet ended, was conducted with such dirty methods that the idea of democracy was completely discredited in the minds of the overwhelming number of citizens of the country. In the midst of this orgy, a trial balloon was thrown into the US information space. The New Yorker published an article by the famous joker and bestselling author Andy Borowitz entitled Queen offers to restore British ruel over the United States.
The article says that in her televised address, Queen Elizabeth recognized the experiment with democracy as a failure and called on the United States to return to the shadow of the British crown. That is, it invited the states to become part of the British Commonwealth and, perhaps, even part of the new British Empire and recognize the supremacy of the British Crown. Many people immediately declared the publication a joke, but many took the proposal seriously and believed it. The publication became not just a method of probing public opinion in the United States regarding the rejection of democracy and the desire for a firm hand, but also, judging by subsequent events, served as the beginning of an information campaign to promote this idea to the masses and influence public opinion itself.
The idea of returning the monarchy began to be discussed not only by reputable publications, for example, The New York Times in the publication Consider a Monarchy, America, but also very widely in numerous American forums. Moreover, this idea generally did not cause complete rejection, and the number of people ready to discuss it turned out to be surprisingly large. And now, 10 days after this publication, Donald Trump unexpectedly wins the US presidential election. Liberals and supporters of democracy immediately throw up hysteria and even, following their own patterns, attempt a color revolution. Trump is accused of authoritarian tendencies, even Fuhrerism, and of attempts to curtail democratic institutions in the United States.
Trump and the Rothschilds
The American press is already openly writing that D. Trump is not just a man of the Rothschild clan, but has been preparing them for the post of President of the United States for more than 30 years. You can read about this, in particular, in the publication Rothschilds Caught Rigging The US Presidential Election. 30 years ago, the Rothschilds saved Trump from bankruptcy, appreciating his organizational and personal qualities. And now he is clearly carrying out their plan to establish a new world order in the Rothschild style (see. Prototype of the Antichrist: V.Yu. Katasonov on Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election).
What does this mean?
First of all, the Rothschilds are gold and capital. The previous world system, based on control of energy flows and the printing press of an unbacked world currency - the dollar, has come to a complete collapse. The empire of the notional Rockefellers, consisting of petrodollars, the Fed printing press, stock exchanges, the media, and various international public organizations, began to crumble from the moment the jewel in the Rockefellers’ crown was sold to Standard OiL.
And now the world is on the verge of a change in the economic model, a complete abandonment of the current monetary policy and a transition to a gold-backed monetary policy. One of the real signs of this was the withdrawal of the Rothschilds from the Gold Committee, located in London, and the Silver Committee, located first in the Netherlands and then in Chicago, and moving the gold exchange, where the prices of gold and silver would be determined, to Shanghai. The Rothschilds are ready, to some extent, to negotiate with Russia and China about their place in the future world system, while the Rockefellers were only inclined to dictate.
Rothschilds - Treasurers of the Windsors
Many analysts also write about the close connection between the Rothschilds and the British Windsor dynasty. This is hard to deny, since the Rothschilds gained control of the state-owned Bank of England back in 1814, and since then, almost the entire financial system of Great Britain is the Rothschild system. The interests of the Windsors are the interests of the Rothschilds. A situation is emerging where the Windsor-Rothschild duumvirate can gain control and power not only over the British Commonwealth, but also over the entire West in the person of the United States and its satellites through Trump’s victory in the presidential elections and his complete reconstruction of both the country itself and the financial and political systems. With the chaos created in the USA, the people themselves will go under the monarchical firm hand of the Windsors.
What remains is the East with an alternative civilizational system to the West, the Orthodox faith and the largest country in the world - Russia. And the West is no longer able to gain control over us except through the establishment of its monarchy. The attempts to bring the head of the House of Windsor, Queen Elizabeth, and Patriarch Kirill closer together, and calls for unification in the fight against world evil in the coming Apocalypse become clear (see. Terrorism in the service of globalists and ecumenists: The struggle for “peace and security” in the context of a threat artificially created by the forerunners of the Antichrist).
It remains only to understand how realistic the attempts to place a representative of the House of Windsor on the Russian throne are. Thus, a clear plan emerges for the unification of the West, East and Palestine with Jerusalem under the rule of one monarchical house, the House of Windsor.
On Russian television, they very often play a commercial for a famous brand of English tea, in which a famous British prince sacrifices his right to succession to the throne for the sake of love for a simple girl. This incident causes inexplicable emotion among our liberal public. This is how these Englishmen honor their age-old traditions, showing the world a civilized approach. However, when it comes to Russian age-old traditions, including in the field of Russian succession to the throne, for some reason they cause a stream of abuse and accusations of barbarism and obscurantism among the same people. But if we follow our old laws of succession to the throne, then under no circumstances will any Windsors be able to take the Russian throne.
Russian laws on succession to the throne Since ancient times, in Rus' there was a very simple law on succession to the throne, based on family characteristics: the throne always passed from father to son along the eldest line. Starting from the founding of the Moscow Principality, all Rurik princes inherited the throne according to this ancient Law. After the death of Ivan IV the Terrible, due to his lack of heirs, the next sovereign, Boris Godunov, was elected by the Zemsky Sobor. After his death, leapfrog began with rulers who were appointed by anyone, boyars, people, foreign sovereigns, there were also impostors. This period of Great Troubles lasted until the new Zemsky Sobor of the Russian people chose a new Romanov dynasty and a new sovereign, Mikhail Fedorovich, the son of Patriarch Philaret, and the ancient Law was restored. Until Emperor Peter I canceled it by his Decree. On February 5, 1722, Peter I issued the “Charter on the Succession to the Throne,” in which the previous order of inheritance of the throne by a direct descendant in the male line was abolished. According to the new Charter, inheritance of the Russian Throne became possible according to the will of the sovereign. From now on, any person worthy, in the opinion of the sovereign, to lead the Russian state could become an heir. Since Peter himself did not leave a will, after his death the leapfrog with succession to the throne began again, which was put to an end by Emperor Paul I in 1797. On April 5, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, a new “Act of Succession to the Throne” was promulgated, which was included in the “Code of Laws of the Russian Empire,” which legally is still a valid source of Law in Russia. No one canceled the act or changed it with a new legal act.
Pavlovsky’s “Act of Succession to the Throne” imposes very serious restrictions on the heirs to the throne, which, according to many lawyers, are the most severe in the world. With all due respect to the descendants of the Romanov dynasty, whose representatives were our sovereigns for 300 years, none of the living Romanovs, due to the serious restrictions imposed by Pavlov’s “Act of Succession to the Throne,” can lay claim to the Russian throne. And even more so the representatives of the House of Windsor.
The same situation is emerging as at the beginning of the 17th century, when only the Zemsky Sobor had the right to elect the Sovereign (see. “The secret aspiration is maturing... The Orthodox Russian Kingdom”: About the monarchy and the ways of its revival).
There is one more nuance. Peter I abolished the institution of patriarchy, and in 1721, when Russia was declared an Empire, the Sovereign himself became the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Synod began to manage the affairs of the Church. The Moscow Patriarchate was restored in 1917, and the question of the future Sovereign in the Russian Orthodox Church remains open.
A non-Orthodox person who is not anointed to the throne and does not bear full responsibility before God for the people entrusted to him, the Orthodox faith and the state, under no circumstances can inherit or be elected by the Zemsky Sobor and God's providence to the Russian throne. By respecting the traditions and laws of the British Empire, we have the right to seek similar respect from the rest of the world for our age-old laws and traditions. Another question is that the average Russian does not suspect that such laws exist, and therefore it is very easy to manipulate him. Therefore, the British crown has no other method other than manipulating and deceiving our people in order to impose its monarch on us.
Neither the Romanovs (see The traitorous descendants of the Romanovs - the “Kirillovichs” - are being imposed on Russia in the event of the restoration of the monarchy ), neither the Windsors nor anyone else can legally become the Russian Sovereign, the guardian of the Orthodox faith, the people and the state of Russia. And any ecumenistic attempts to unite all Christians other than under the fold of Orthodoxy lead to the disappearance of Christianity and its replacement by faith in Satan.
These simple thoughts must be methodically conveyed to the public consciousness through education. Otherwise, we will face disappearance and enslavement by a cunning, cynical enemy who has no moral principles. This must be understood.
Arkady attended the parish school in the village of Nikolskoye-Gorushki and the church of the Spaso-Vlaherna Monastery, where, according to him, “a wonderful priest and clergyman served.”
After finishing primary school it was necessary to continue education. But the family was in need; expensive education in a gymnasium or a real school was not available. Son-in-law Yegor Egorovich Kamenev (Arkady studied with him at the parish school) helped him decide on the Dmitrov Theological School.
The two senior courses took place during the 1905 revolution. The Moscow Academy was shaken by strong unrest. In fact, students did not study in the second semester of 1904/05 and the first semester of 1905/06 academic years. Arkady did not participate in numerous student meetings, rallies, or signing petitions.
After the death of Patriarch Tikhon, many clergy and parishioners in Europe, who had previously remained loyal to the Moscow Patriarchate and did not accept the obviously discordant position of the ROCOR, negatively greeted the arrival of Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) to the leadership of the Church, and later his famous Declaration of 1927. Vladyka Sergius revered Metropolitan Sergius from his youth and did not express his attitude to these events. But his spiritual father and Metropolitan Evlogii (Georgievsky) refused to obey Metropolitan Sergius, and on June 10, 1930, he was dismissed by him from the management of Russian churches in Western Europe and banned from the priesthood.
Transfer to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 23, Archbishop Sergius (Korolyov) received Soviet citizenship. In the Soviet passport, the bishop was called not by a monastic or secular name, but by a mixed name - “Sergius Dmitrievich Korolev.”
Bishop Sergius of Vienna visited the USSR twice. For the first time he stayed in Moscow and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra from October 21 to 24, and during this trip he also visited Leningrad. As a result of this trip, an article was published that makes a complex impression. Church supervisory authorities perceived this article as a sign of Bishop Sergius’ loyalty to the Soviet regime. But the text looks very verified - the bishop could not allow himself a single word of criticism of the Soviet order and the position of the Church in the USSR, but did not want to advertise Soviet policy for political purposes. He writes that churches in Moscow and Leningrad are full of people (the implication being that there are too few churches), he is horrified by the wartime destruction, he admires the buildings of Moscow and Leningrad theaters, and the good performance of classical music on the radio.
“Archbishop Sergius did not hold any special events, but he introduced daily services in Kazan city churches. He visits them every day and often serves himself. By this, he achieved that more believers began to go to church, and raised his authority.”
From the mid-forties until perestroika, there were only three churches in Kazan: St. Nicholas Cathedral, which forms one complex with the ancient Church of the Intercession; the temple at the Arskoe cemetery, where worship did not stop in the most brutal times, and the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the suburban village of Tsaritsyno. Bishop Sergius introduced his characteristic creative spirit into the liturgical life of Kazan. Despite his advanced age and poor health, he regularly stood through all the services and spent a long time placing parishioners to the cross, while giving spiritual instructions. People who served with him remember how, in his presence, idle walking along the altar naturally stopped and it was simply ashamed to carry on unnecessary conversations. Moreover, all his comments to the clergy were exclusively benevolent in nature and were associated with prayer for them. He introduced the daily service of prayers to the Mother of God after the Liturgy and the obligatory singing of an akathist in honor of Her Kazan Icon at Sunday Vespers. The latter tradition is firmly rooted in the liturgical life of Kazan and continues to this day. In addition, Vladyka decorated the ancient copy of the Kazan icon, located in the cemetery church, with nine lamps and published an article in the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate on the history of the Kazan icon.
He lived in a two-story house of the diocesan administration. He always decorated his room with flowers and young branches. I loved to walk along the Kazan streets in the evenings. During his walks, the bishop noticed where people lived in poverty, whose house needed repairs, and then tried to help them. People who knew him note that he did not spoil anyone with handouts, but helped exactly those who needed it, and sometimes his entire bishop’s income was spent on such help.
In January of the year, Bishop Sergius fell ill. He did not tell anyone about his terrible pain, but from that time on people began to notice that the archpastor was looking worse and worse. In the fourth week of Lent, a disappointing diagnosis followed - cancer. On May 3, he underwent surgery in one of the Moscow clinics, and on May 27, he left for Odessa, where he remained until mid-July. On his way back to Kazan, he visited Moscow and the Moscow region, where he spent his childhood.
Archbishop Sergius died on the night of December 18th. The secretary of the Kazan diocesan administration, Archpriest Nikolai Evtropov, tried to obtain permission from the authorities for the ceremonial transfer of the bishop’s body from the house on Lesgaft Street to the Church of the Yaroslavl Wonderworkers (about a kilometer), but this was categorically refused. The bishop’s body was brought to the temple on a truck. The farewell took place from December 18 to 21, the cemetery church was visited by thousands of Kazan residents and residents of other cities and villages of Tataria. The funeral service took place on December 22; Archbishop Sergius was buried behind the altar of the temple.
Used materials
- "Archbishop Sergius (Korolyov)" // Website of the Tatarstan Metropolis "Orthodoxy in Tatarstan"
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain received Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' on Tuesday, October 18, at Buckingham Palace in London. TASS reports this with reference to the press secretary of the patriarch, priest Alexander Volkov.
The meeting was held behind closed doors. It was attended by the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Bishop of London of the Anglican Church Richard Chartres.
“Various issues were discussed at the meeting, including Patriarch Kirill telling the Queen about the revival of the Church in Russia in the last 20 years, about the construction of churches, the development of theological science, the increase in the number of dioceses, and in general about the spiritual upsurge that now exists in Russia "They also discussed the situation of Christianity in Europe," Volkov said.
He noted that “the Patriarch is very encouraged by the results of this meeting.” Volkov said that at the beginning of the conversation, the Patriarch congratulated Her Majesty on her 90th birthday, which was celebrated this year. “As a souvenir of the meeting, he presented an icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” in Russian jewelry traditions. In response, the queen presented him with portraits: her own and her wife’s,” he said.
Before the meeting, Volkov reported that the patriarch plans to discuss with the queen “issues related to the situation of Christians in the Middle East” and “the current state of traditional Christianity in Europe, which, unfortunately, is now going through hard times.” He also noted that the Russian side expects that “this meeting will bring tangible results for building relations between our peoples, since both the Church and the monarchy are the basis for preserving traditional values, which, unfortunately, are now losing their meaning in the eyes of many people ". “This meeting is intended to emphasize the importance of preserving the values basic for the entire Christian world in the modern world,” Volkov emphasized.
The Ukrainian ambassador insulted the patriarch and criticized the queen
The British Queen's intention to meet with the Patriarch previously drew sharp criticism from Ukraine. The country's ambassador to London, Natalya Galibarenko, said that Patriarch Kirill is a “former KGB agent” who supported “Russian aggression,” The Times wrote. Galibarenko also said that “Patriarch Kirill is the mouthpiece of the Kremlin” and his invitation to London “risks legitimizing Russian foreign policy in the eyes of the whole world.”
The British Foreign Office noted that the meeting was part of the Queen's duties as head of the Church of England, and called it "justified to recognize shared history and ties."
The Patriarch will meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury
Later on Tuesday, October 18, the Patriarch will also meet separately with the Archbishop of Canterbury. The meeting with the archbishop will also be attended by Bishop Chartres of London, Metropolitan Hilarion and Archbishop Elisha of Sourozh (Ganaba). The Patriarch and Archbishop will formally exchange speeches. The meeting will take place at Lambeth Palace, located on the banks of the Thames, which has been the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury since 1190.
“As for the meeting with Welby, we have a fairly extensive platform for dialogue with the Anglican Church. Again, first of all, this dialogue is built on the topics of preserving the traditional view of Christianity, and the challenges that an aggressive secular society now poses to the church in Europe , worry both the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church of England,” Volkov said.
As Welby told reporters, at the meeting with the patriarch they will discuss “spiritual issues of relationships between churches,” as well as the problem of oppression of Christians. "This will be a very important meeting. I think we have to admit that we have some difficulties regarding the current events that we have been discussing for the last few years. And it is an honor for me to meet with His Holiness, this is very, very important," he said.
The Church of England hierarch also commented on the prospect of improving relations between the United Kingdom and Russia. “I am absolutely confident that God has the opportunity to improve relations between England and Russia. Peoples professing Christianity must commit themselves to striving for peace and the common good of all people,” he emphasized.
Kirill visited Great Britain for the first time as patriarch
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' is in London on a visit to mark the 300th anniversary of the presence of the Russian Church in the British Isles. This is Kirill's first visit to England as patriarch. Before his election to the patriarchal throne, he repeatedly visited Great Britain and performed divine services in the Assumption Cathedral.
The first primate of the Russian Church to visit the United Kingdom was Alexy I, Interfax reports. His visit took place in September 1964 at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsay. In 1991, Patriarch Alexy II visited Great Britain.
During his current trip, Kirill consecrated the Assumption Cathedral in London after restoration and a new tombstone on the grave of Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh at Brompton Cemetery. The patriarch was also accepted into the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain and took a walk around London, reports the website of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Queen of Great Britain - Head of the Church of England
After the division of the United Christian Church in 1054, the Church in the British Isles found itself out of communion with Orthodoxy, but maintained contact with the Roman throne for the next 500 years. The turning point in the history of English Christianity was 1534, when King Henry VIII initiated the church reformation.
It was caused by completely non-theological reasons: his divorce from his first wife was not blessed by the Pope. Then the king declared himself the head of the Church and completely subordinated it to the state.
Now the head of the Church of England is also considered to be the king or queen, and the monarch has the right to elect the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose name is represented by the synod of the Church through the prime minister. Anglican bishops are members of the House of Lords.