Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the Occasion of Sobriety Day

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ issued an address on the occasion of the All-Russian Sobriety Day:

Beloved in the Lord Most Reverend Archpastors!

Reverend Fathers, dear brothers and sisters!

Today the Holy Church commemorates the Beheading of John the Baptist and Forerunner of the Lord. For his faithfulness to the truth of God, the great prophet suffered a martyr’s death at the hands of a hard-hearted king. Under the influence of strong drink, Herod, who even before this had not led a pious life, became callous, gave himself over to lasciviousness (Eph. 4:19), and compounded the sin of adultery with the murder of a righteous man.

As a reminder of the need to “watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (Mt. 26:41), the Church established Sobriety Day on this feast, so that, having heeded the Gospel reading proclaimed today, each person might embark upon the path of struggling against his own weaknesses and vices.

For those who treat the sin of drunkenness with indulgence and levity, let the words of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk serve as a warning. The saint cautioned that the devil loves nothing so much as luxury and drunkenness, for no one fulfills his evil will as readily as a drunkard (On True Christianity).

Sobriety concerns not only the consumption of intoxicating drinks, but also every form of addiction. A person unable to tear himself away from a smartphone or computer game is likewise held captive by harmful attachments and habits and needs to strengthen his will. It is important to recognize the grave consequences of intemperance, which makes a person a slave to sin and deadens the soul. The Church therefore invites us to draw upon the rich, centuries-old ascetic experience of the Holy Fathers.

Through the prayers of the great Prophet John the Forerunner, may the Merciful Lord help us all to lead pious lives, preserving spiritual vigilance and purity of heart.

+KIRILL PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUS’