Address by the head of the Krasnoyarsk Metropolis on the occasion of Sobriety Daytranslated

All-Russian Day of Sobriety is celebrated annually on September 11. The main goal of the holiday is to attract public attention to the problem of alcohol addiction and popularize a sober lifestyle. On this occasion, Metropolitan Nikita of Krasnoyarsk and Achinsk made an appeal:

— Beloved archpastors in the Lord, honorable fathers, dear brothers and sisters!

Today, September 11, the Holy Church remembers the sorrowful event of the beheading of the honest, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. On this day we also celebrate All-Russian Day of Sobriety, designed to remind us of the value of not only physical, but also spiritual health.

The Holy Scripture reveals to us: “Wine is good for a person’s life if you drink it in moderation...wine is sorrow for the soul when you drink a lot of it, during irritation and quarrel” (Sir. 31:31,34). The Gospel story about the death of the great prophet serves as a tragic illustration of these words. It was during an unbridled feast, when King Herod's mind was clouded by hops, that he made an insane oath that led to the execution of the righteous man. John the Baptist, who himself observed the strictest abstinence all his life, became a victim of passion, which we must eradicate in...