Patriarch Kirill: Orthodoxy is experiencing a revival in Russia, even as it is being marginalized in Europe

In a recent sermon, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia described the revival of the Orthodox faith in Russia as a miracle, contrasting this process with the situation in Western countries. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church emphasized that in the modern era, Christian values in Western Europe are being pushed out of public life. This was reported by the Orthodoxia News Agency.

The solemn divine service took place on July 12, 2026, at St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg on the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul, the Apostles. In his address to the faithful, the Patriarch noted that during the Soviet era of state atheism, the faith was preserved with great difficulty, but today it is becoming a significant force influencing not only people’s personal lives but also the development of society and the state as a whole.

“The Christian faith in Western Europe is being marginalized today,” Patriarch Kirill stated, emphasizing Russia’s special responsibility to bear witness to Christ in the context of global secularism. At the same time, he emphasized that Russia does not claim the role of a “messianic power,” but merely seeks to ensure that this period of religious revival is underpinned by profound internal changes in people’s consciousness, rather than merely the external restoration of churches and monasteries.

As a reminder, we previously reported that the European Union plans to consider and, most likely, approve the 21st package of sanctions against the Russian Federation on July 13. The final document may be adopted in a significantly “watered-down” and compromise form to resolve disagreements among EU member states. In particular, there are no plans to include the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, on the sanctions list.