Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu, Paxos and the Diapontian Islands was awarded the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Second Class, by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in recognition of his contribution to strengthening relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church of Greece.
The award was presented on August 19, 2026, following the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
Metropolitan Nektarios concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Patriarch Kirill and hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Metropolitan of Corfu is currently in Russia at the head of a delegation from his Metropolis, accompanying the right hand of St. Spyridon of Trimythous, which was brought from Corfu for the veneration of the faithful.
During the award ceremony, particular reference was made to Metropolitan Nektarios’ contribution to developing and strengthening friendly relations between the two Churches.
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.
For his part, Metropolitan Nektarios thanked Patriarch Kirill for the distinction and expressed his joy at having the opportunity to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration together with the Primate and hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church.
He also recalled their acquaintance from the period when Patriarch Kirill served as Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, as well as an earlier visit he had made to the Metropolis of Corfu.
“I had the joy of knowing you even before you became Patriarch, when you served as Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, visited our Metropolis, and celebrated the Divine Liturgy. Even then, I compared you to Archbishop Christodoulos, who, in difficult times, was able to ‘rightly divide the word of truth’ (2 Tim. 2:15).
“And you indeed ‘rightly divide the word of truth.’ Like a spiritual magnet, you draw people to the Church, especially young people, who come to the Russian Orthodox Church, fill its churches, and return from atheism to faith,” Metropolitan Nektarios said.
Patriarch Kirill honored in return
Metropolitan Nektarios subsequently presented the Patriarch of Moscow with the highest distinction of the Holy Metropolis of Corfu, the Order of the Golden Cross with the Star of St. Spyridon.
Patriarch Kirill expressed his joy at the presence of the Greek delegation and placed particular emphasis on the significance of their common prayer.
“We rejoice that today our Greek brothers celebrated this Divine Liturgy together with us and that we had the opportunity to pray together,” he said, praying that God would preserve Orthodox Christians throughout the world “in faith, love and unity of mind.”
Following the ceremony, the Patriarch of Moscow met with Metropolitan Nektarios and members of the Greek delegation, where commemorative gifts were exchanged.
