His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia passed away: the Oriental Orthodox Church Expresses Condolences

Moscow: His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, the Supreme head of the Russian Orthodox Church, an autocephalous Patriarchate of the family of Byzantine (Eastern) Orthodox Churches, died on 5 December 2008 Friday at the age of 79. He died at his residence in Peredelkino, a former Soviet writers' colony, outside Moscow.

 

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia since 1990, the Estonian-born Alexiy was a powerful and influential figure. He oversaw a major religious revival in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, with hundreds of new churches built across the country, monasteries reopened and seminaries filling with new priests. Alexiy was always outspoken in his defense of traditional Russian values and criticized the West over issues such as gay rights.

 

Mikhailovich Rediger was born on February 23, 1929 in the Estonian capital Tallinn, into the family of a Russian Orthodox priest of German descent. In 1953 he graduated from the St Petersburg Spiritual Academy as a priest. He served in Estonia and Russia before becoming a monk in 1961, taking the vow of chastity necessary for any Orthodox clergyman seeking a top position in the church. In 1961 he was appointed Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia and in 1986 was consecrated Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod. 

His Holiness Ignatius Zakka I sends condolences

Damascus: His Holiness Ignatius Zakka I Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church and one of the Seven Supreme Patriarchs of the family of the Oriental Orthodox Churches sent his condolences to the holy synod of the Russian Greek Orthodox Church, an autocephalous Patriarchate of the family of Byzantine (Eastern) Orthodox Churches on the death of patriarch Alexei II of Moscow and all Russia.

Click here to read the condolence message.

http://www.syrianchurch.org/pdf/Condolence-HH_Alexy_II.pdf

Orthodox Church of the East pays Tribute to the Russian Patriarch

 

 Kottayam, : Special prayers were held in memory of the deceased Patriarch of Russia His Holiness Alexy II at all parishes and shrines of the Orthodox Church of the East (Indian Syrian Orthodox Church) as per the special order of the Catholicose-Patriarch of the East, His Holiness Baselius Marthoma Dydimos I who is supreme head of the Orthodox Church of the East and one of the Seven Supreme Patriarchs of the Oriental Orthodox Church, on 7th December 2008. A Delegation lead by H.E. Metropolitan Mar Coorilose Geevarghses of the Bombay Metropolitan Diocese will attend the funeral.

His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews II, 113th Catholicose of the East (1991 -2005), conversing with His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II-1998

The condolence message of the Catholicose  of the East to the Russian Orthodox Church on the Passing of His Holiness Alexy II

 

This is the text of the letter that His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didymus I send to His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill, the head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church.

 

MM& CE 75/2008

                                                                               December 6, 2008

The Chief of External Affairs

Russian Orthodox Church

 

Our beloved brother in Christ,

We received the news of the sad demise of His Holiness Alexi II, the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia with a heavy heart.

 

We recollect the occasion of His Holiness’s visit to Kerala in 1975 as a prelude to the visit of the Patriarch.

 

We remember with gratitude the kind response of His Holiness to our invitation to visit our Church in November this year.

 

We, on behalf of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the People of India offer our condolence at the demise of the supreme head of the largest Orthodox Church in the world and share your grief.

 

 

Though we very much wish to be there for the funeral service my old age and health condition do not permit me to take up such a long journey. However we will be represented by His Grace Geevarghese Mar Coorilos, Metropolitan of

Mumbai Diocese and Dr. Cherian Eapen, President, R. I.C Foundation at the funeral service and present our condolence message.

 

 

Special memorial prayers will be offered in all parishes of our Church on 7th December 2008.

 

 

With Prayers and regards

 

Baselios Marthoma Didymus I

http://malankaraorthodoxchurch.in/images/stories/File/condolencemoscow.pdf

 

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I CONVEYS HIS CONDOLENCES TO THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH FOR THE PASSING AWAY OF HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH ALEXY II

The text of the letter that His Holiness Aram I send to His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill the Locum Tenens of the Russian Orthodox Church

 

 

His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill

Locum Tenens

Russian Orthodox Church

Moscow

 

Your Eminence,

 

It is with profound sorrow that we heard the passing away of His Holiness Alexy II, the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. We, as former Moderator of the World Council of Churches and as spiritual leader, have known His Holiness, his perspectives and vision. In fact, His Holiness was a great spiritual leader who led with courage and commitment the Russian Orthodox Church for eighteen years. He was called to his pontifical ministry at a most crucial period of the his tory of Russia. At a time of great change and challenge His Holiness was able to engage his church in a process of spiritual renewal by responding to the emerg ing realities and expectations of the people. He gave a renewed dynamism to church-society relationship, enhanced the evangelistic, educational and diakonal witness of the church, strengthening at the same time its ecumenical and inter-re ligious dialogue and collaboration.

 

On this sad occasion, on behalf of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, its hierarchy and people, and personally we would like to extend our deep condo lences to Your Eminence, to the Holy Synod, to the clergy and the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church. May God accept the soul of His Holiness Alexy II in His heavenly kingdom.

Your in Christ,

ARAM  I 

CATHOLICOS  OF  CILICIA