Patriarchal Address on the Occasion of Sobriety Day

On September 11, 2024, the Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist is observed as Sobriety Day. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia issued a Primatial Address to all the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church:

Beloved in the Lord, Most Reverend Archpastors,  

Venerable Fathers and Mothers,  

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Today, we commemorate the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, who suffered for his unwavering commitment to God's truth. Even when faced with the threat of death, John the Forerunner continued to exhort the sinful king Herod to abandon the sin of adultery. Yet Herod, instead of heeding the prophet's warnings, committed an even graver sin, taking the life of this holy man, having weakened his reason through the consumption of alcohol.

"Drink wine, but do not drink away your mind," advises St. Isidore of Pelusium (Letter 313 to Zosimus). Wine, given to man by God for joy, when consumed without moderation, can become the source of various misfortunes, illnesses, and life tragedies.

As a reminder of the destructive nature of intemperance, the Russian Orthodox Church has established a special Sobriety Day on the Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist, calling upon its faithful to engage in intensified fasting and prayer, especially for those suffering from the terrible affliction of alcoholism. "Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness" (Luke 21:34), Christ warns us, reminding us of the importance of being ready at any moment to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:36). May these solemn words of the Savior and the instructive example of the Gospel event commemorated today serve as a helpful admonition, guiding us always to maintain sobriety in both soul and body.

Through the intercession of the honorable and glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord John, may the Holy and True Master (Rev. 6:10) send us His gracious help in our spiritual growth and grant us a good answer at the Dread Judgment Seat of Christ.