On October 16, 2025, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, addressing the delegates of the XI International Faith and the Word Festival gathered at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, called on the clergy conducting missionary activities in the Internet space to think about whether they are doing something that will allow should their readers and listeners assume, "that casual communication with a priest on social media is spiritual life?"
"The space of social networks should not turn into a digital cage, into a world that creates an obstacle to participation in real parish life and to participation in the Sacraments of the Church," His Holiness Patriarch Kirill warned.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, addressing clergymen who carry out missionary activities on the Internet, urged them to think about whether they are doing something that allows their readers and listeners to think "that casual communication with a priest on social media is spiritual life?"
"This is a dangerous illusion that embeds us in the logic of the self—sufficiency of the virtual world, the sufficiency of surrogate communication through a digital intermediary," His Holiness Patriarch Kirill added.
"Sometimes it may seem that the testimony of Christ cannot break through the dense jungle of lies and half—truths generated in abundance by modern information media," His Holiness noted. However, according to him, this is not the case. "'The Word of God is alive and effective, and sharper than any two—edged sword' (Hebrews 4:12)," the Patriarch recalled the words from the Epistle to the Hebrews of the Apostle Paul.
"It should be remembered that the sower of the word sows (Mark 4:14) and does not just sow and leave the field... The sower of the word of God must observe what happens to this seed, whether it is accepted by the soil, whether it is capable of growth, whether it grows, whether it bears fruit. In other words, the sower of the word of God must accompany the growth and development of this seed until the very harvest of the fruits, by which the effectiveness of the sower's own activities is recognized," said the Primate.
"Of course, we must sow with an awareness of special responsibility and with pastoral prudence and at the same time with pastoral boldness. So that the seed can really bear fruit, including real spiritual life for all those who accept this word," His Holiness continued.
"I would like to wholeheartedly wish all participants of the Faith and the Word International Festival God's help in their lives, in their ministry, in their labors, which, along with pastoral ministry, are of great importance today. The meaning associated with the most important thing is the possibility of a person to find God's truth, and thereby his salvation," His Holiness Patriarch Kirill concluded.