Mother of God of Kazan icon

Various news organizations recently reported that Pope John Paul II will return the famous icon, the Mother of God of Kazan, that hangs in his private chapel, back to Russia. The icon will be returned on August 28, 2004 to Patriarch Alexy II, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The icon appeared in the Russian City of Kazan in 1579, was brought to the west after the Bolshevik revolution and was donated to the Pope by an intermediary group in the 1970's. The Vatican's spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, said that the Pope has had a profound desire to return the icon to the Russian people, ever since he received the icon. Relations with the Orthodox Church remain strained and we hope that the return of the icon will relieve some of that tension.

A prayer-partner friend emailed me the image found on this page. It is one of the best images of the Mother of God of Kazan icon, we've seen. Since we do not know the origin on this particular image, and it is probably copyrighted, we hope you will not copy it, and have therefore disabled the right-mouse-click feature for this image. But we wanted to bring it to you because the icon shows Our Lady's tenderness for her Child so well.

The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Washington, D.C. tells the following history of the icon: "The celebration of the Most-holy Theotokos (Theotokos is a Greek word that means "God-bearer" or "Mother of God"), in honor of her Icon known as the Kazan Icon, was established in thanks for the saving of Moscow and all Russia from the attack of the Poles in 1612. The late 16^th and early 17^th Centuries are known in Russian history as the Time of Troubles. The nation was attacked by Polish armies, who mocked the Orthodox Faith, and who looted and burned churches, towns and villages. By means of deceit, they succeeded in seizing Moscow. In response to the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Hermogenes (commemorated on May 12) the Russian people rose up in defense of the homeland. The miraculous Icon of the Most-holy Theotokos was sent from Kazan to join the militia led by Prince Dimitry Mikhailovitch Pozharsky.

In his "Homily on the day of the appearance of the Icon of the Mother of God in Kazan" (celebrated July 8), Holy Hierarch Dimitry of Rostov (commemorated September 21) said: The Mother of God saves from great misfortunes and evils not only the righteous, but also the sinful, but what manner of sinners? Those, who like the prodigal son, return to their Heavenly Father; who lament [over their sins]; who, like the publican, beat their breasts; who are like the sinful woman that wept at the feet of Christ and washed His feet with her tears; those who, like the thief on the cross, confess Him. The Mother of God looks after such sinners and rushes to help them, and saves them from great misfortunes and evils.

Recognizing that the misfortune had been permitted because of their sins, the entire people and militia observed 3-day fast, and turned to the Lord and His most-pure mother for divine help. Their prayers were heeded. Holy Hierarch Arseny (later to become bishop of Suzdal), who was a prisoner of the Poles, sent word that he had had a vision revealing by the intercession of the Most-holy Virgin, God's judgment been had turned to mercy. Inspired by this news, the armies on October 22, 1612 liberated Moscow from the Polish occupiers. The celebration in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Most-holy Theotokos was established in 1649. To this day, that Icon is highly venerated by the Russian Orthodox people.