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16 April 2007, 13:51 Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia’s greetings letter to Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of his 80th birthday Your Holiness, I cordially greet you on the occasion of your 80th birthday. On this solemn day of your jubilee, may I express my special admiration of your life that has wholly been dedicated to the church ministry. You were young when you were ordained and since then you have led a praiseworthy life culminating in your election to high and eminent position of the Primate of the Roman Catholic Church. As a minister of the...

11 April 2007, 14:58 Patriarch Alexy speaks again about Orthodoxy in China Moscow, April 11, Interfax - Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia has recently spoken twice on the hard condition of the Orthodox Church in the People’s Republic of China. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Moscow Patriarchate granting autonomy to the Chinese Orthodox Church, Patriarch noted as he spoke at a reception given by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Tuesday evening. ‘This Church marks her anniversary by having neither a priest nor a bishop, thought there are still many thousands believers who wait for...

30 May 2006, 13:13 Moscow Patriarchate official conveys greetings to Benedict XVI from Alexy II Moscow, May 30, Interfax - A representative of the Russian Orthodox Church conveyed to Pope Benedict XVI greetings from Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. The Rev. Igor Vyzhanov, Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR) secretary for inter-Christian relations, had a talk with the pope after the divine service celebrated by the pope in Krakow last Sunday during his visit to Poland. The representative of the Russian Church was invited by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakow, to take part in...

29 May 2006, 15:27 Alexy II visit to Latvia is political signal - premier (updated) Riga, May 29, Interfax - The visit to Latvia of Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Alexy II is a political signal, Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis said after a Monday meeting with the patriarch in Riga. "This is a very important political signal in relations between Latvia and Russia," he said. Alexy II awarded the Order of St. Prince Daniil of Moscow, 2nd Degree, to Kalvitis. Later in the day, he met with Saeima Speaker Ingrida Udre and decorated her with the Order of St....

A high-ranking Vatican envoy says Pope and Russian Orthodox leader unlikely to meet soon 21:08 2005-12-01 A high-ranking Vatican envoy on today praised progress in the Holy See's cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church, but indicated that disagreements between the two churches were still preventing its leaders from holding a meeting any time soon. "We established a heartfelt mutual understanding between our churches, and we see in this a source for future cooperation," Cardinal Renato Martino, who heads the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said of his talks in Moscow. However, asked whether a meeting between Pope Benedict...

After much hesitation, Priest Georgy Edelshtein decided to write a letter to the Russian president, a former KGB officer, about other KGB officers - Metropolitans Methodius and Cyril, the most likely aspirants for the post of patriarch (see MN No.19, 2003) Dear Mr. President, On September 26, 2002, Metropolitan Methodius of Voronezh and Lipetsk was awarded the Order of Friendship for "outstanding achievements and many years of conscientious work." On March 27, 2003 you presented the award to His Eminence in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall. Talking about all those present, including Metropolitan Methodius, you said that those people "have set...