Patriarch Kirill delivered a sermon on… Russia’s nuclear program, continuing the wartime rhetoric that has characterized the Russian Orthodox Church, particularly since Russia invaded Ukraine.
On August 1, the feast of the Translation of the Relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Patriarch Kirill visited the Holy Trinity-Saint Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery, where he presided over the Divine Liturgy.
Speaking about St. Seraphim of Sarov, the Patriarch claimed that Russia’s development of nuclear weapons was the result of… St. Seraphim’s prayers.
Although Patriarch Kirill of Moscow has, in recent years—particularly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—grown accustomed to making statements and delivering sermons that fuel rather than ease tensions, speaking of a “holy war” (referring to Russia’s war against Orthodox Ukrainians) and even promising the remission of sins to Russian soldiers killed in the conflict, his invocation of a saint in connection with the creation of the atomic bomb raises, at the very least, questions about the ecclesiastical and theological direction of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In his homily, Patriarch Kirill described St. Seraphim of Sarov as Russia’s spiritual protector, saying the saint helped preserve the Orthodox faith during a period marked by the spread of atheism.
He devoted particular attention to Sarov’s role in the Soviet nuclear program, stating: “The scientists who worked here in Sarov created our Russian atomic bomb, which prevented the enemy from carrying out plans to destroy and enslave our homeland.
Through the labors of scientists, engineers, and workers, God’s grace and mercy were revealed to our country. It was no coincidence that it was precisely here that the scientific research and engineering work took place that protected our people and our nation from total destruction.”
The Patriarch further argued that it was “not accidental” that Russia’s nuclear program was developed in the very place where St. Seraphim had lived and prayed. Referring to conversations with Russian physicists and scientists, he said many of them believe that “the creation of such a powerful weapon in this particular place was not by chance, but happened, in part, through the prayers of our venerable and God-bearing Father Seraphim of Sarov.”
Concluding his homily, Patriarch Kirill described the revival of Orthodox Christianity in post-Soviet Russia as “the fruit of the prayers of the saints” and prayed that God would protect “the Russian land, our Orthodox President, the authorities, and the armed forces.”
This year, the monastery is commemorating three major anniversaries: the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Mill Community, the 35th anniversary of the second uncovering of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, and the 35th anniversary of the restoration of monastic life at Diveyevo.
Patriarch Kirill was welcomed by Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church, state officials, and the monastery’s abbess, Mother Sergia, together with the sisterhood.
Before the Divine Liturgy, he venerated the relics of St. Seraphim and then presided over an outdoor service attended by numerous bishops and clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Among those present were senior Russian officials, executives from Rosatom, university representatives, nuns from various monasteries, students from the University of Balamand of the Patriarchate of Antioch, and thousands of pilgrims. According to local authorities, approximately 7,500 faithful attended the Patriarchal Liturgy.
Following the service, Patriarch Kirill offered a prayer before the relics of St. Seraphim, exchanged commemorative gifts with representatives of the monastery, presented the convent with an icon of Saints Peter and Paul, and distributed Gospels and commemorative icons to the sisters and the faithful.
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