Biography of Cyril Archbishop

His father, Mikhail Vasilievich, was a priest, mother, Raisa Vladimirovna, - a teacher of German at school. After graduating from high school in the year, Vladimir Gundyaev entered the Leningrad Theological Seminary, and then to the Leningrad Theological Academy, which he graduated with honors of the year. The future Patriarch was tonsured in monasticism on April 3 of the year by Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Nicodemus Rotov with the name of Kirill.

In the future from the GG. In September, Hieromonk Cyril was elevated to the rank of archimandrite, and over the next four years he was a representative of the Moscow Patriarchate under the World Council of Churches in Geneva. At the age of 14, Archimandrite Kirill was Hirotonisan in Bishop Vyborg, and on September 2, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop. For ten years, Vladyka Kirill was the rector of the Leningrad Theological Academy and Seminary, and in December he was appointed Archbishop of Smolensky and Vyazemsky.

Since the year, he was a manager of parishes in the Kaliningrad region, and in the year he became Archbishop of Smolensky and Kaliningrad. Over the years, the future Holiness Patriarch headed the Smolensk diocese. Under him, the Kaliningrad region was included in the diocese, where the preaching of Orthodoxy began almost from scratch, the first Orthodox churches appeared.

The seminary opened in Smolensk, Orthodox gymnasiums appeared in the diocese, and new parishes were open. Along with the Office of the Smolensk diocese, Metropolitan Cyril worked as a church diplomat and scientist. He regularly made lectures, including in Western universities, participated in the interkhristian dialogue, repeatedly met with the leaders of other Christian faiths and with the leaders of foreign states.

From November to G. as the head of the department of external church ties, Metropolitan Kirill took an active part in the reunification of two branches of the Russian Church. Under his leadership, there was also the preparation of two important documents that determined the attitude of the church to the most important social and political challenges of the 21st century - the “Fundamentals of the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church” and the “Fundamentals of the Teaching of the Russian Orthodox Church on dignity, freedom and human rights”.

In the course of his activities, Metropolitan Kirill took an active part in peacekeeping actions in the former Yugoslavia. Repeatedly during the war he visited Belgrade, negotiated with the leadership of Serbia, initiated the creation of an informal international Christian peacekeeping group in Yugoslavia in May. Since the year, Metropolitan Cyril is the author and leading weekly television program “Word of the Shepherd” on Channel One.

As the chairman of the Commission of the Holy Synod on the revival of religious and moral education and charity, he initiated the creation of synodal departments on religious education, social services and charity, in interaction with the armed forces and law enforcement agencies. He was the author of the concept of the revival of charity and religious education, adopted by the Holy Synod on January 30.

He developed and submitted for the approval of the Holy Synod the “Concept of the interaction of the Russian Orthodox Church with the Armed Forces” in the year. After the death of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, on December 6, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Cyril of the seven permanent members of the Holy Synod was elected a locomotive of the Patriarchal throne.

Holiness Patriarch Kirill is a candidate of theology, an honorary professor of a number of spiritual and secular universities in Russia and in the West, the author of several books and more publications on various issues of church life. He has high state awards, as well as awards of the Russian Orthodox Church and many local Orthodox churches.