On 25 November 2018, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), and Archbishop Sergy of Solnechnogorsk, administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate’s parishes in the East and Southeast Asia countries celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Pyongyang together with Rev. Feodor Kim, senior cleric of the church; archpriest Sergy Yakutov, rector of the Intercession Church in the city of Ussuriisk, Vladivostok diocese; Archpriest Dimitry Fedorin, dean of the first church district in Vladivostok; priests Vladimir Jang and Vasily Hwang; hierodeacon Yuvenaly (Lapshin) a cleric of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Ostankino, Moscow; and deacon Pavel Pak and Georgy Yun.
Fervent prayer was offered for the assassinated servant of God Andrei, a hero of Russia and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation, who was killed in the line of his diplomatic duty in Ankara. Russian Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in 2001-06 H.E. Andrei Karlov paid special attention to the construction of a Russian church in Pyongyang.
After the divine service Metropolitan Hilarion addressed the worshippers. He conveyed greetings from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia who gave us his blessing to celebrated Divine Liturgy in this church so dear to His Holiness. He came here as the DECR chairman first to make arrangements for the construction of the church and then to consecrate it. Now His Holiness prays for this church, its clerics and parishioners and hopes to visit the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and celebrate divine service here.
Metropolitan Hilarion dwelt upon the parable of the Good Samaritan told by Jesus Christ, saying that this parable has a special meaning as the Lord has taught us how to treat our neighbours. The truth is simple: our neighbor is a person who needs our compassion and support, our kind words be which we can share with him our experience of religious life.
The DECR chairman continued to say: “The Lord has called us to His Church where we ought to gather spiritual treasures and share them with our neighbours. It is not fortuitous that this magnificent church is located in the centre of Pyongyang: it remands us of God and of the Heavenly Kingdom. Its doors are always open to those who come here to take Holy Communion and to be with the Lord.
“The constructed church is really a miracle. As we were celebrating the Divine Liturgy we felt the invisible presence of the Lord Who blesses all those worshipping in the church as well as those who are not inside it. I wish this church to stand here till the end of time with no winds and storms shaking it and I wish the faith put by the Lord into our hearts to be unwavering.”
Metropolitan Hilarion thanked all those who are taking care for the church and first of all H.E. Alexander Matsegora, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the DPRK.
The DECR chairman presented him the Rev. Feodor Kim with the Patriarchal award – the jubilee medal “In commemoration of the centenary of the restoration of Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church.”
