In the evening of January 8th, 2012, the 30th Sunday after Pentecost and the feast of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated Grand Compline at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
Concelebrating were the assembly of hierarchs, including Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department of External Church Relations, Metropolitan Athanasios of Kyrenaika, representative of the Patriarch of Alexandria to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Iov (Tyvonyuk) and Metropolitan Viktor of Tver and Kashino; archimandrite Stephan (Dispirakis), representative of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, archimandrite Feoktist (Dimitrov), representative of the Bulgarian Patriarchate, deans and members of the Moscow diocesan council.
An old Altar Gospel ascribed to the reign of the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna was brought out from the sanctuary during the service. This Gospel Book was brought to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour from St. Joseph’s Monastery under the will of the late Metropolitan Pitirim of Volokolamsk and Yuriev and is brought out from the sanctuary twice a year: at Grand Complines celebrated on Christmas and Easter.
After the divine service Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna greeted His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the great feast of the Nativity of Christ on behalf of the plenitude of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Primate of the Russian Church addressed the worshippers with his primatial homily and received greetings from the bishops, clergymen, and laymen.