Patriarch Kirill of Moscow received the relics of St. Spyridon of Trimythous at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow on the evening of August 18, 2026, in the presence of Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu, Paxos and the Diapontian Islands.
The relic—the right hand of St. Spyridon—was brought from the Greek island of Corfu to Russia as part of a pilgrimage that will allow Orthodox faithful across the country to venerate the revered saint.
It should be noted that the Moscow Patriarchate severed communion with the Church of Greece in response to the latter’s recognition of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine on October 12, 2019.
Furthermore, on October 21, 2019, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens sent a letter to Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, paving the way for their mutual commemoration.
Patriarch Kirill presided over the All-Night Vigil on the eve of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Members of the delegation of the Metropolis of Corfu, headed by Metropolitan Nektarios, attended the service.
Patriarch Kirill led the formal reception of the reliquary at the western entrance of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Metropolitan Nektarios presented the reliquary to the Russian Patriarch, who venerated the relic before it was carried into the center of the cathedral to the chanting of the troparion of St. Spyridon.
Addressing those gathered, Patriarch Kirill welcomed the presence of the Greek delegation and emphasized the common Orthodox faith shared by the faithful of the two countries.
“Today our brothers from Greece were with us—Orthodox hierarchs, clergy and laypeople. Today we prayed, each in our own language, but we addressed the same prayer to the Lord,” Patriarch Kirill said.
He added that they had prayed for the Orthodox Church and their peoples, asking God to preserve them “in faith, unity of mind and love,” despite the challenges facing contemporary society.
“May the Lord help us all to preserve the faith and love for Him, and to treat one another wisely and with kindness,” the Patriarch said, also expressing his hope for the strengthening of Orthodox faith and spiritual life.
Following the service, Patriarch Kirill held a meeting with Metropolitan Nektarios and members of the Metropolis of Corfu in the altar of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk also meets the Metropolitan of Corfu
In the same context, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR) of the Moscow Patriarchate, met with Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu, Paxos and the Diapontian Islands at the DECR headquarters in Moscow.
Metropolitan Anthony warmly welcomed the Greek hierarch and thanked him for the spiritual joy offered to the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church through the opportunity to venerate the important Christian relic, which is normally kept on the Greek island of Corfu.
