Usually, we see and hear high-ranking figures like the Patriarch in an official setting: at the pulpit or church ambo, at a ceremonial reception or the like. This short video, however, captures Patriarch Kirill in an informal talk with a group of bishops, with whom he shares some of his recollections from a bygone era.
Patriarch Kirill was meeting with the top clergy of Kazakhstan who have
recently come under pressure from globalist forces to break with the Russian
church; they stood with Russia, and
Kirill was praising them for doing the right thing, advising them to not fear
these pressures from the globalists.
The experience which he describes has had a profound impact on his
personality and, willy-nilly, on the Russian Orthodox Church of which he is a
Primate… And let us face it: inasmuch about 70% of the Russian population would
identify themselves as Orthodox Christians, the bequest of Patriarch’s
Grandfather is shared by the whole Russian nation. To a large measure at least.
Please make sure to turn on the captions on this video and choose
English – or whatever language you prefer: there is a choice to make from. Here
goes the text of the pertinent section:
My grandfather lived
a terrible life from the point of view of a modern person: he went through 46
prisons and seven exiles, spent most of his life in prison – and not because he
was a criminal, but because he fought against moderinist, was an ardent
supporter of Patriarch Tikhon, resisted the shutdown of Orthodox churches.
All this was in the
20-30s of the last century, when one could suffer death for that. When he was
over 70 years old, he was ordained, served in Bashkiria, in a remote village, and,
being a very old man, walked 10-15 kilometers on foot in the mountains to give
Communion to his parishioners. When my grandfather was already completely weak,
he returned to his family, for his wife, already an old woman, could not go
with him to Bashkiria.
Shortly before his
death, I visited him. I have told this story a number of times and I will tell
you. He was already dying, but he was in his right mind, he could say everything, and he admonished me with these words: “Never be afraid of anything in this life.
Fear only God”.
If some armchair scientist-professor
had told me this, I would have thought: well, okay. But if a person went
through so many prisons and exiles, then it was clear he knew what he was
talking about. I would like to convey to you the words of my grandfather: “Never
be afraid of anything”.
Do not ask for
trouble, do not provoke conflicts, but don’t be afraid. Fear is a mood
incompatible with Bishop’s service. As soon as fear appears, apply for
retirement right away. Have you been scared to death, knocked down, – your
retirement application will be accepted.
Once again, I am saying:
there is no need to parade your audacity, to provoke conflicts, – nothing of
the sort! We must humbly, calmly perform our service, but never be afraid of
any external circumstances.
And in order not to
be afraid, we must remember our predecessors, the New Martyrs, confessors of
the Russian Church. Had they been afraid in their time, then, probably, everyone
would have become detractors, apostates, and the Russian Church would have been
no more...