Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'

The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' is an important title in the Russian Orthodox Church. This person is the leader of the church and is often called "His Holiness." The patriarch helps guide the church in Moscow and the whole church.

The title of Patriarch started in 1589 when the leader of the church in Russia was given a higher status. The first person to hold this title was Job. Later, in 1721, Peter the Great changed things, and a group called the Most Holy Synod took over. But in 1917, the patriarchate was brought back, and now there is a patriarch again.

Today, the current patriarch is Kirill, who became patriarch in 2009. He helps lead the Russian Orthodox Church and supports many people in their faith.

Title

The title of the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church has changed over time. Older versions include "Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia" and "Patriarch of Moscow and all Great and Little and White Russia." The current title was first used in 1589. It was restored in 1917 but stopped by Soviet authorities in 1925. The title was brought back again in 1943 when Metropolitan Sergius became the patriarch.

History

See also: History of the Russian Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Church began in 988 when Vladimir the Great brought Christianity to the area. At first, its leaders were under the authority of the patriarch of Constantinople. Over time, the main church moved from Kiev to Moscow.

In 1589, Metropolitan Job became the first patriarch of Moscow. This made the Russian church equal in importance to other major Orthodox churches. Later, leaders in Russia took control of the church, ending its connection to other patriarchs.

In 1721, Peter I of Russia changed the church’s leadership, replacing the patriarch with a council. This continued until 1917 when the patriarchate was restored. Since then, the Russian Orthodox Church has grown again, reopening many churches and guiding Orthodox communities in Russia and beyond.

Selection

According to the rules of the Russian Orthodox Church, a patriarch serves for life. If a patriarch leaves office, the Holy Synod picks a temporary leader until a new one is chosen.

To become a patriarch, a person must be a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church who is at least 40 years old and has studied theology and led a church area well.

The process for choosing a new patriarch is not fully explained in the rules. In the past, different ways were used to pick the patriarch. For example, in 1990, Alexius II was chosen by secret vote, and in 2009, Kirill I was elected by a large group of church members. After being chosen, the new patriarch has a special ceremony to begin their role.