ID :
13870
Sat, 07/26/2008 - 13:28
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https://oananews.org//node/13870
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Alexy II leaving for Ukraine to take part in jubilee of Kievan Rus
MOSCOW, July 26 (Itar-Tass) - Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Alexy II goes to Ukraine Saturday to take part in festive functions on the occasion of the 1,020th anniversary since the adoption of Christianity by the early medieval Duchy of Kievan Rus that was the ancestral homeland of nowadays Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
The festivities continue for the third day running in Kiev, wherePatriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and the Universe arrived Friday.
Ukrainian authorities have made an apparent accent on his visit, while Alexy II's arrival remains in the shadow of official events.
There are two programs of the functions - one focusing on Alexy II's visit and the other that mostly features Patriarch Bartholomew and President Viktor Yushchenko.
Only a handful of official events will bring the two Patriarchstogether.
During the visit, Alexy II and Bartholomew, who has the nominal position of the supreme hierarch of the entire Eastern OrthodoxCongregation, will have the first personal meeting since 2000.
"We are looking forward to the forthcoming meeting with hope and would like to see the Kiev festivities foster the spirit of unity in the global family of Orthodox Christians," the Reverent Nikolai Balashov, the secretary for relations with other Orthodox Churches at Moscow Patriarchate's department for external relations told Itar-Tass. "We are confident that Church divisions existing in today's Ukraine can be eliminated only on the basis of Orthodox Christian solidarity." Political experts believe that the Ukrainian authorities will try and use His Holiness Bartholomew's visit for legitimizing a national Orthodox Church that split from Moscow Patriarchate in 1992, as well as theso-called Ukrainian Autocephalous Church that was set up in 1921.
The leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reporting to the so-called Kiev Patriarchate, Metropolitan Philaretus, has been defrocked by MoscowPatriarchate.
At this moment, the global Orthodox Christian community recognizesonly the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reporting to Moscow Patriarchate.
Sunday, July 27 representatives of foreign Orthodox Churches willserve an open air liturgy near the monument to St Prince Vladimir.
On the same day, Patriarch Bartholomew will return to Istanbul.
Sources say Alexy II will meet with a number of government officialsduring the days of the visit.
"Alexy II has always spoken in favor of a flourishing Ukraine," theReverend Balashov said.
He indicated that people affiliating with the Russian Church make up abig percentage of Ukraine's population.
According to a preliminary program, Alexy II is due to visit apartfrom Kiev the eastern Donetsk region.
The festivities continue for the third day running in Kiev, wherePatriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and the Universe arrived Friday.
Ukrainian authorities have made an apparent accent on his visit, while Alexy II's arrival remains in the shadow of official events.
There are two programs of the functions - one focusing on Alexy II's visit and the other that mostly features Patriarch Bartholomew and President Viktor Yushchenko.
Only a handful of official events will bring the two Patriarchstogether.
During the visit, Alexy II and Bartholomew, who has the nominal position of the supreme hierarch of the entire Eastern OrthodoxCongregation, will have the first personal meeting since 2000.
"We are looking forward to the forthcoming meeting with hope and would like to see the Kiev festivities foster the spirit of unity in the global family of Orthodox Christians," the Reverent Nikolai Balashov, the secretary for relations with other Orthodox Churches at Moscow Patriarchate's department for external relations told Itar-Tass. "We are confident that Church divisions existing in today's Ukraine can be eliminated only on the basis of Orthodox Christian solidarity." Political experts believe that the Ukrainian authorities will try and use His Holiness Bartholomew's visit for legitimizing a national Orthodox Church that split from Moscow Patriarchate in 1992, as well as theso-called Ukrainian Autocephalous Church that was set up in 1921.
The leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reporting to the so-called Kiev Patriarchate, Metropolitan Philaretus, has been defrocked by MoscowPatriarchate.
At this moment, the global Orthodox Christian community recognizesonly the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reporting to Moscow Patriarchate.
Sunday, July 27 representatives of foreign Orthodox Churches willserve an open air liturgy near the monument to St Prince Vladimir.
On the same day, Patriarch Bartholomew will return to Istanbul.
Sources say Alexy II will meet with a number of government officialsduring the days of the visit.
"Alexy II has always spoken in favor of a flourishing Ukraine," theReverend Balashov said.
He indicated that people affiliating with the Russian Church make up abig percentage of Ukraine's population.
According to a preliminary program, Alexy II is due to visit apartfrom Kiev the eastern Donetsk region.
