A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 23 - Tuesday, June 8th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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His Holiness opened the meeting and said: 'Your Eminence, brothers archpastors, all-honorable fathers! We are happy to greet you upon the completion of your long pilgrimage to the holy places of Russia, which are so close and dear to all of us. You saw the restored old churches of God, which were destroyed and desecrated in the period of the persecution of the Church. You visited new churches, which have been built in commemoration of the tragic events of our recent historical past. You witnessed the spiritual revival that is taking place in Russia and saw it with your own eyes. On the eve of your departure we are happy to meet with you again and discuss the ways of the development of our relations. While on the pilgrimage, the members of the official delegation and the pilgrim's group of the Russian Church Outside of Russia prayed at the divine services, venerated the holy relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov and other saints of God. It has become possible to talk about the restoration of our communion in prayer. We should also think about the restoration of the Eucharistic communion and about small but real obstacles on the way to the cherished unity. To overcome these obstacles, the two working commissions were set up: the Synodal Commission on the Dialogue with the Russian Church Outside of Russia headed by Metropolitan Innokenty of Korsun and the Commission on Discussions with the Moscow Patriarchate headed by Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany. I hope that common work of these commissions will be held in the spirit of mutual understanding and fraternal love and will be crowned with success. In spite of the present difficulties, extremely important is the fact that it is for the first time in the history of our relations that an official visit to Russia of the representatives of the Russian Church Outside of Russia has become possible. We participate in the meetings on the official level and this holds out hope for successful development of our relations in future. The present event will undoubtedly occupy a worthy place in the chronicles of the Russian Orthodoxy.' His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus said in his address: 'We thank God for an opportunity to visit the holy places of Moscow and St. Petersburg, the place of a martyric death and burial of the holy Emperial martyrs, the places of birth and exploits of St. Seraphim of Sarov. St. Seraphim used to say 'Acquire the spirit of peace, and thousands around you will be saved'. Indeed, peace of the soul and fraternal love are necessary today for us so that together we could serve God and the Russian people'. The members of the Russian Church Outside of Russia cordially thanked His Holiness Patriarch Alexy for an opportunity to personally observe the process of revival of the spiritual life in Russia at present. Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany noted that thanks to the trip to Russia he could even more deeply comprehend the life and hopes of the Russian people. Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America underlined that the Russian people had cherished in their souls the true living faith. 'Earlier I only heard about this great faith, but now I saw it for myself", - Archbishop Kyrill said. Archpriest George Larin, Rector of the Church of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in Nayak and secretary of the Eastern America and New York diocese, said that during his stay in Russia revealed to him were fruitful relations of symphony between the Church and the state in Russia: secular authorities, aspiring to enhance the moral level of society, receive spiritual support of Orthodoxy. Archpriest Alexander Lebedev, rector of the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Los Angeles took note of a large number of children in the churches and Sunday schools. This testifies to the successful formation of a new generation of the Orthodox people, he said. While commenting on these impressions, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy noted: 'As we look in the eyes of children whom you mentioned, our hope become stronger that this generation will not be lost either for the Church or for society. These children will be the believing people, in spite of the temptations of the modern world'.
Presented in
the Synodal residence in St. Daniel's Monastery
was an album dedicated to the life and exploits
of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The book contains
forewords of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox
Church and of the First Hierarch of the Russian
Church Outside of Russia and is timed to the 250th
anniversary of the birth of the saint of God,
which is celebrated by the Orthodox world.
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Orthodox News, PO BOX 6954 |
On 27 May
2004 a final official meeting of the delegation
of the Moscow Patriarchate and the delegation of
the Russian Church Outside of Russia headed by
its First Hierarch Metropolitan Laurus of
Eastern America and New York was held in the
Synodal residence in St. Daniel's Monastery
under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch
Alexy II of Moscow and all Russia.
