At the session of the Holy Synod, a report was delivered by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ on the Primatial visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan

On 30 October 2025, in the Patriarchal and Synodal residence at the Danilov Monastery in Moscow, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, a regular session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church took place.

JOURNAL No. 86

HEARD:

The report of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ on the Primatial visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Reference:

From 16 to 18 September 2025, the visit of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church to Kazakhstan took place. His Holiness was accompanied on the trip by: Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Head of the Moscow Patriarchate Administration for Institutions Abroad; Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, Personal Secretary to His Holiness; Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; V. R. Legoyda, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media.

On 16 September, upon arrival in Kazakhstan at the international airport of Astana, His Holiness the Patriarch was welcomed by: Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan M. S. Ashimbayev; Head of the Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan; as well as: Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan A. G. Balayeva; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation D. A. Abayev; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Kazakhstan A. N. Borodavkin; Akim of Astana Zh. M. Kasymbek; other parliamentarians and representatives of the clergy of the Metropolis in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

On 17 September, on the eve of the opening of the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, a meeting took place between the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.–Zh. K. Tokayev. In recognition of strengthening spiritual ties between the two peoples and as a sign of special respect, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan awarded His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ the highest state award of the Republic – the Order of “Altyn Qyran” (“Golden Eagle”). This award was presented to a religious leader for the first time in the history of Kazakhstan.

On the same day, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed the opening of the Congress “Dialogue of Religions: Synergy for the Future”. The event was attended by more than 100 religious, state and public leaders from 60 countries of the world: President of Kazakhstan K.–Zh. K. Tokayev; His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem; the Speaker of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan and Head of the Secretariat of the Congress M. S. Ashimbayev; Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia; Cardinal George Jacob Kallat Kuttickal, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue of the Roman Catholic Church; Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board; Hojat-ul-Islam Mohammad Mahdi Imanipour, Head of the Organization for Islamic Culture and Relations of Iran; Miguel Ángel Moratinos, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations; Muhammad Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League; the Chief Rabbis of Israel (Sephardic and Ashkenazi); diplomats, journalists and experts; representatives of Al-Azhar University, and Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and other religious communities from China, Japan, Korea, India, Pakistan, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and other countries.

At the sidelines of the Congress, bilateral meetings were held between the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and religious leaders: with Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia; with Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nauryzbai qaji Taganuly; and with Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board.

In the evening of 17 September, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Kazakhstan A. N. Borodavkin.

That same evening, a conversation took place between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem.

On the next day, 18 September, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill performed the rite of minor consecration of the church of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh in Astana. The church is part of the spiritual, cultural and educational center of the Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan, dedicated to All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Land of Kazakhstan.

On the same day, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church held a meeting with the Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue of the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal D. D. Kallat Kuttickal.

In the afternoon, after the panel sessions of the Congress, the interreligious youth forum and the expert round table, the solemn closing of the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions took place. The ceremony was headed by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.–Zh. K. Tokayev and attended by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and members of the accompanying delegation. Addressing those gathered, His Holiness expressed satisfaction with the results of the interreligious forum and thanked President K.–Zh. K. Tokayev and all organizers of the major international event.

In the evening of 18 September, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill performed a prayer service before the reliquary containing the relics of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Kazakhstan in the Assumption Cathedral of Astana, addressed the clergy and faithful with a Primatial message and bestowed his blessing upon those gathered on the square before the cathedral.

At the conclusion of his stay in Kazakhstan, His Holiness visited a reception hosted by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan and the Akim of Astana Zh. M. Kasymbekov. After the reception, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill departed for the airport, where he was seen off by the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan M. S. Ashimbayev; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan; the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Kazakhstan A. N. Borodavkin; and other officials.

RESOLVED:

1. To take the report into consideration.

2. To express gratitude to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church for his labors and for bringing the joy of prayerful communion to the hierarchs, clergy, monastics and laity of the Metropolis of Kazakhstan.

3. To express appreciation to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev, representatives of the state leadership and public circles of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan and the clergy of the Metropolis for the attention and hospitality shown to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ and his accompanying delegation.

4. To consider it important to continue the active participation of the Russian Orthodox Church in the work of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, its Secretariat and Working Group, in order to strengthen interreligious relations, mutual understanding and friendship among religions and peoples of different countries.