Patriarch Kirill announced the rejection of Russia in the world due to the combination of Orthodoxy and modernity

Russia unites a modern state with the Orthodox faith, so many in the world do not accept it, said Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' during the All-Moscow religious procession.

He stated this after a prayer service held at the intersection of Frunzenskaya Embankment and Khamovnicheskaya Street.

“For many others, we present an unacceptable example: we connect the modern state, with its developed science and technology, with various other aspects of modern life, with the Orthodox faith. We gather these thousands of people who do not renounce the faith. And these are not just older people, these are people of different ages, different positions. And this testifies that the Lord has bowed His mercy over the Motherland and over our people,” said Patriarch Kirill.

It is necessary to pray to the Mother of God that her cover will extend over Russia, the patriarch added.

“(Our people – ed.) have experienced terrible years of persecution from the atheists, and have also experienced suffering for the faith. And now we have every opportunity to glorify the Lord in our Fatherland, to pray for our country, and for our Orthodox president, and, of course, for our army, and for the whole people,” he said in his sermon.

The all-Moscow religious procession, led by Patriarch Kirill, takes place on Sunday, September 6, along the Prechistenskaya and Frunzenskaya embankments and Khamovnichesky Val Street to the Novodevichy Convent. The total length of the route is about six kilometers, its completion time is expected to be from one and a half to two hours.

At the head of the procession are especially revered shrines: an ancient copy of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, specially delivered from Smolensk, the reliquary with the relics of Demetrius Donskoy and the icon of All Saints of Moscow.

The first All-Moscow religious procession in modern history, which revived the tradition of large All-Moscow religious processions, took place in 2025. It is timed to coincide with the celebration of the Council of Moscow Saints.