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You are here : Home arrow News arrow World News of the Eastern Church arrow ALEXIUS II: LIVE BROADCAST OF THE FUNERAL SERVICE IN THE CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOUR
ALEXIUS II: LIVE BROADCAST OF THE FUNERAL SERVICE IN THE CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOUR PDF Print E-mail
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Tuesday, 09 December 2008
The funeral service of Patriarch Alexius II is being held in Moscow in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated by His Eminence Kirill, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, who was elected on Saturday as interim Patriarch by the Holy Synod. The ceremony is being attended by the Patriarchs of all Orthodox Churches (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldavia), the members of the holy Synod, and some political representatives who are holding a burning candle. The Vatican delegation is led by Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The body of His Holiness Alexius II is lying in the middle of the Cathedral. According to a statement released by Moscow Patriarchate, "an endless crowd" of people had paid the last tribute to the Patriarch last weekend. According to Interfax news agency, some 82,000 people reached the Russian capital from other cities and from abroad. The funeral service is being broadcast by the first Russian television channel, with video and audio broadcasts even on the web.
Many are the people of consequence who are attending the funeral of His Holiness Alexius II as on the list released this morning by the Moscow Patriarchate. The ceremony - which started at 11 Moscow time (9 a.m. in Italy) - is being attended by 6 heads of the Orthodox Churches with their delegations: Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia, Patriarch Daniel of Rumania, Metropolitan Christopher of Czech Lands and Slovakia, Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania and Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece. A delegation of the Roman Catholic Church is also present. Led by Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the delegation includes Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, the Apostolic Nuncio Mgr Antonio Mennini and the Archbishop of the Archdiocese Mother of God in Moscow Mgr Paolo Pezzi. A delegation of the Armenian Apostolic Church led by Catholicos Karekin II is also present, together with some representatives of the Anglican Church, of the Evangelical Church of Germany and Norway, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and of the Conference of European churches who made their trip to Moscow. In his address Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, who was elected interim Patriarch on Saturday, paid his last tribute to Alexius II.
"He received the legacy of a Church that had been weakened by decades of repression," he said. "At a time when our country was called to meet big challenges, the weak Russian Church had to face them, to preserve its people and help them find their faith again." "Today," continued Metropolitan Kirill who was visibly moved to tears "he entrusts us another Church. It is no longer a weak, powerless Church. He met the challenge and was able to preserve the unity of the Church so that today we are here all together".
"An extremely touching atmosphere." With these words Mgr Vincenzo Paglia, Bishop of Terni and President of the Bishops' Commission for Ecumenism and Dialogue, who had been invited by Metropolitan Kirill to attend Alexius II's funeral service, describes to the SIR the atmosphere in Moscow. It is touching to see "the presence of the Metropolitans of All Russia, of the heads of the Orthodox Churches, and even of the Catholic delegation," said Mgr Paglia who also spotted some Jews with some Rabbis. "In that moment of deep grief, there was a sort of extraordinary brotherhood, as Kirill pointed out in his homily by recalling the works of the Patriarch who was able to accompany the Russian Orthodox Church towards its full recovery after a period of persecution and weakness. Today the Church has revived not only as a Church but also, and above all, in the heart of people, thanks to the sole power of love," said Kirill who is supporting the Church mission in the world. And Alexius II by his courageous witness was able to bring the strength of the Russian faith beyond the Russian borders, everywhere in the world."
"The final kiss," continued Bishop Paglia, "has been particularly touching, when all the Metropolitans got close to the body and kissed the Patriarch's face covered by a shroud. Another touching moment has been when Metropolitan Kirill invited all Catholic Cardinals and Bishops to do the same." At the end of the ceremony, a long funeral cortege is accompanying, under a pouring rain, the body of the Patriarch to the Epiphany Cathedral where Alexius II wished to be buried. "After the burial, we will all go back to Christ the Saviour Cathedral for a moment of fraternal agape."
© SIR
 
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The Pontifical Oriental Institute (POI - or PIO in Italian version - Pontificio Istituto Oientale) is an educational facility under the jurisdiction of the Holy See dedicated to advanced studies on Eastern Christianity. This Pontifical Institute of  the Oriental Church has  a special Catholic mission. Its Catholic mission aims at diffusing knowledge and appreciation for the religious and cultural traditions of the Eastern Christian churches. Its Eastern orientation is recognized by the two faculties of specialization offered: the Faculty of Eastern Church Studies and the Faculty of Eastern Canon Law. The Oriental Institute is also dedicated to the progression in ecumenical dialogue between the churches and holds a student body composed from among all creeds.


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