On the blood of the martyrs, the Orthodox faith was strengthened.translated

September 13, 2026, on the Fifteenth Week after Pentecost, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the newly consecrated church of the Seven-Zealots Icon of the Mother of God at the Federal Scientific Center for Hygiene named after F.F. Erismann in Mytishchi, a suburb of Moscow. After the Liturgy, the First Hierarch addressed the faithful with his Primatial Word.

Your Eminences! Esteemed representatives of state power! Dear fathers, brothers, and sisters!

I heartily congratulate you on this remarkable event—the consecration of the church!

What is happening today in Russia, especially in the city of Moscow, cannot be understood by many outside our country, including traditionally Christian nations. I have spoken about this more than once. This is not an accusation; we do not have the right to accuse anyone in this case—it is a statement of fact: on the well-educated Western lands, particularly in Western Europe, churches are either closing down or being repurposed—best case scenario as mosques (at least God is worshipped there), and worst case as entertainment venues. It is astonishing: no protests, no demonstrations over this matter. Quite another story when…