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Archbishop Gallagher visits Moscow’s Orthodox Cathedral
On the second day of his mission to Russia, the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States visits the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the seat of the Patriarch of Moscow, after meeting earlier in the week with Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk.
By Stefano Leszczynski – Moscow
The second day of the mission to Moscow by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, focused on a visit to the Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in the capital of the Russian Federation.
Archbishop Gallagher was welcomed by Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Vice-President of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The visit followed the official meeting on Tuesday, August 25, with Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the same department.
The visit to the Cathedral
Despite the distinctly autumnal weather, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour warmly welcomed the Holy See delegation on its mission to Moscow.
The imposing building, with its golden domes and located a short distance from the Kremlin, was shown to Archbishop Gallagher in all its splendor.
Accompanied by Archbishop Giovanni d’Aniello, the Apostolic Nuncio, he took part in a guided tour lasting more than an hour, which culminated in panoramic views of the Russian capital from the magnificent terraces of the place of worship.
A symbol of the revival of faith in Russia
Although the original project for the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour dates back to 1812, when Tsar Alexander I wanted it dedicated to Christ the Saviour to celebrate Russia’s deliverance from Napoleon’s invasion, construction did not begin until 1860.
The first tsar to be crowned there was Alexander III, in 1883.
The history of this place of worship was marked by upheaval and tragedy, including its complete destruction under the Soviet regime. It was blown up in 1931, and after the war, the largest swimming pool in the USSR was built on the site.
With the decline and eventual end of the Soviet regime, the Russian Orthodox Church received authorization to rebuild the Cathedral from the ground up in February 1990.
The cost of reconstruction was covered through a fund established in 1992, to which the faithful from across Russia made financial contributions.
Archbishop Gallagher and Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Giovanni d’Aniello, in the cathedral
A building filled with memory and treasures
The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow houses important artistic and spiritual treasures.
Archbishop Gallagher was accompanied through an exhibition space recounting the turbulent history of the church, displaying liturgical vestments, historical documents, sketches, and precious objects that either survived the destruction or were recreated by Russian artisans.
After ascending from the underground Church of the Transfiguration, the Archbishop was accompanied to the upper level, which houses the iconostasis and no fewer than 22,000 square metres of frescoes.
There, Archbishop Gallagher paused in prayer before the icon of the Virgin of Vladimir, attributed to Saint Luke and returned to the Orthodox Church, becoming one of the principal objects of devotion among the Russian faithful.
Archbishop Gallagher before the icon
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