Representatives of the Metropolis Took Part in the Assembly of Abbots and Abbesses of the Monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church

September 23, 2025. Moscow. In the Hall of Church Councils of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ presided over the Assembly of Abbots and Abbesses of the Monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Before the session began, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the lower Transfiguration Church of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

The service was conducted by: Metropolitan Feognost of Kashira, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism, Abbot of the Donskoy Stavropegial Monastery in Moscow; Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, Chairman of the Commission on Monastic Life of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church; Metropolitan Zinovy of Saransk and Mordovia; Metropolitan Feodor of Volgograd and Kamyshin; Bishop Meletiy of Ardatov and Atyashevo; and clergy of the capital.

Those praying at the Liturgy included the participants of the Assembly, who then proceeded to the Hall of Church Councils after the service.

The presidium of the session included: His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’; Metropolitan Feognost of Kashira; Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas; Abbess Iuliania (Kaleda), Abbess of the Conception Stavropegial Convent in Moscow and Deputy Chair of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism; Archimandrite Stefan (Tarakanov), Abbot of the Savvino-Storozhevsky Stavropegial Monastery and Deputy Chair of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism.

In addition to the abbots and abbesses, hierarchs of several dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church also took part in the Assembly.

Participants from the Metropolis of Kazakhstan included: Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Abbot Trifon (Pechkovsky), Superior of the Seraphim–Feognost Aksai Monastic Hermitage; Abbess Varvara (Morzova), Superior of the Protection Convent in Uralsk; Abbess Olimpiada (Salopeko), Superior of the Nativity of the Mother of God Convent in Karaganda.

Opening the session, Metropolitan Feognost of Kashira greeted His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on behalf of all those present.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church delivered the keynote address.

Then Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas presented a report titled “The Monastic Struggle as the Path of Christian Asceticism.”

Bishop Kirill of Sergiyev Posad, Abbot of the Holy Trinity–St. Sergius Lavra and Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, gave a lecture on “Monastic Rules and the Monk’s Ascent ‘to the Measure of the Stature of the Fullness of Christ’ (Eph. 4:13).”

Afterwards, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill answered questions from those present.

At the conclusion of the Assembly, all participants received the book “The Life and Service of Patriarch Tikhon”, collections of materials from the International Christmas Educational Readings published under the title “Ancient Monastic Traditions in the Context of Modernity. Orthodoxy, National Culture, Losses and Gains of the Past, and the Image of the Future”, the journal “Monastic Bulletin” published by the Danilov Monastery in Moscow, as well as the book by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill “A Word to Monastics.”

The Patriarch addressed those gathered with a parting word:

“At this point, I would like to conclude our Assembly by expressing gratitude to each one of you - to the abbots, to the abbesses, and to everyone present today. I hope that the thoughts exchanged here will serve, even for those who did not participate in the discussion, as guiding principles in their fruitful activity and service for the benefit of our nationwide monastic community, for the good of our Church, and for the good of our Fatherland.”