Metropolitan Feofan: ‘Now it definitely can be said that on 21 July the Patriarch will arrive in Kazan’

'I hope we will not disappoint the Patriarch'

'Now it definitely can be said that on 21 July His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus Kirill will arrive in Kazan. I have been in Moscow recently, have met with His Holiness and he confirmed that he will come to Kazan. The Patriarch will attend the foundation stone laying of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, the temple that we are reviving. I hope we will not disappoint the Patriarch,' started the press conference Metropolitan Feofan.

It is known that Patriarch Kirill will come to Kazan metropolis for the first time. Earlier, his visits, the information about which leaked, had been cancelled. A few years ago, one of the visits was cancelled, about which there even was an official announcement.

To the question of the correspondent of Realnoe Vremya how the construction budget of the future cathedral is formed, the metropolitan answered that 'one should not reinvent the wheel', the money will be accumulated by the Vozrozhdeniye Fund that is headed by the first President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev. Many Tatarstan enterprises offered to support the construction, including Kazanorgsintez, KMPO and many others. An approximate cost of the future Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan – 1 billion rubles.

'The Fund is headed by our favourite person – Mintimer Sharipovich Shaimiev. The fund has well recommended itself in the revival of ancient Bolgar And Sviyazhsk,' he noted. At the same time, the metropolitan noted that to participate in the revival of the cathedral – is a matter of conscience of everyone no matter what profession he or she has. 'God gives as good as one gets,' he reminded.

The building, barbarously destroyed in 1930s, will be restored in accuracy. Though the scheme of the cathedral has not been saved, they have measurements and they will be enough for the architectures. They will restore in accuracy the interior of the cathedral, its iconostasis. The contractor has been chosen – it is Tatinvestgrazhdanproject.

'I will be in Raifa on Easter'

The Metropolitan Feofan told the journalists that he was going to make the Easter service at night from Saturday to Sunday the Raifa Monastery of the Mother of God. The service was at the Trinity Cathedral.

'I served in Raifa on Epiphany (on 19 February – editor's note), it is very beautiful here, many believers gather here,' he said. By the way, for the first time in 400 years of the existence of the monastery the metropolitan will serve in Raifa on Easter.

The metropolitan noted that we should not forget about good deeds. 'Look around you, who is around you. Perhaps, your table is full, but someone does not have the most necessary. Visit your dears, help the destitute, and you should do that regardless of religious affiliation, you should help everyone,' encouraged the metropolitan.

The journalists asked about the second holiday in May – Victory Day (on 9 May, a holiday that commemorates the capitulation of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union at the end of Second World War – editor's note). 'Victory Day is the holy holiday for me, my father reached Berlin, was wounded, spent 6 months in hospitals, then went to the front again. Two of my uncles – the heroes of the Soviet Union. In our family 15 men died,' told metropolitan Feofan. He said that in the entrenchments there were people of different nationalities, and it helped them to win.

The journalists also asked about the other 'war' – they enquired about the campaign organized by Kazan metropolis – the collection of signatures against abortions. 'We are terrified by the action of terrorists. However, annually, according to the official data, 1 million of unborn children dies. And according to unofficial data, it is two times more. It is a terror against our country! There is no such thing in the animal world, their mother defend its babies, even she faces death, she will never leave them,' the metropolitan told emotionally. He also noted the other negative trend of the contemporary realities — homosexual marriages, calling them 'a disgrace, violence against human nature, lawlessness that they are trying to put the shape of law.'