On the first Christmas night of the new millennium on 6-7 January the holiday divine service was held in the church of Christ the Savior led by His Holiness Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus. On that night, beside numerous high-ranking guests the church was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin with his spouse and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as well as his wife, who were in Russia on a personal visit.
Since this year entrance to the Christmas liturgy was free and only VIP guests were provided tickets, people began gathering at the church long before the beginning of the service. By approximately nine o'clock in the evening a long stream of people had formed on the approaches to the church under the attentive management of police in expectation of the opening of the cathedral.
First to get into the church after careful inspection by the security service was the press. Only after 9:00 were people admitted who first had to go through metal detectors. After this the church rather quickly filled up completely. One of the first highly-placed guests to arrive at the holiday service was the chief liberal democrat, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. After him appeared members of the Moscow government led by vice mayor Valery Shantsev, chairman of the State Duma committee on affairs of public associations and religious organizations Viktor Zorkaltsev and his cohort in the communist party, the chief communist economist Sergei Glaziev. Also spotted among the VIP's were deputry premier of the Russian government Valentina Matvienko and secretary of the Security Council Sergei Ivanov.
Close to 10:00 Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schroeder appeared; they were conducted to the sollia (the raised place near the altar) where their spouses already awaited them. The crowd immediately perked up and began looking with curiosity at the highest-ranking guests who had arrived. The boldest tried to get into the first rows, shoving their neighbors with the elbows, which caused concern among the agents of the Federal Security Service. One of them, noting a clever lad who was vigorously advancing and taking me for his relative ordered me to follow the kid carefully. I decided not to disappoint him so I nodded affirmatively.
Finally the royal doors opened, from which His Holiness Patriarch Alexis II appeared with numerous clergy and the Christmas holiday service began. When the church singing resounded and the patriarch's prayer was heard and the incense and burning candles were sensed, then the peaceful but at the same time festive and solemn circumstances set in.
The chancellor and his wife watched what was happening with great interest. Mr. Schroeder's face expressed undisguised amazement and curiosity. Vladimir Putin, standing beside him with a tired look, crossed himself. The spouses had their heads covered as is required in an Orthodox church.
About thirty minutes after the beginning of the service His Holiness Patriarch Alexis II approached the leaders of the two states. He greeted them warmly and kissed President Putin three time according to Christian custom and extended his hand to the chancellor. After this the Putins and their German guests left the church. Soon Valentina Matvienko and Sergei Ivanov also left the service. The remaining VIP guests conversed enthusiastically among themselves, not paying attention to the continuing service.
At the conclusion of the Christmas service Patriarch Alexis II gave Christmas greetings to all in attendance. After this the crowd began to disperse to their homes, while the specially honored guests who managed to endure to the end went with the patriarch to the dining hall for a Christmas meal. (tr. by PDS, posted 11 January 2001)
AFTER PARTICIPATING IN THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY GERHARD SCHROEDER RECEIVES
A NEW VISION OF THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE
Pravoslavie.ru,
8 January 2001
The question of the return of church property that was confiscated during the war in Germany was not discussed at the meeting of Patriarch Alexis with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder at the Saint Sergius Holy Trinity lavra. This was reported by the primate of the church responding to a TASS reporter's question this past Sunday. In an exclusive interview with the news agency the patriarch assessed his meeting with the chancellor as "very useful," since, in his words, before the guest "a completely new vision of the Russian people, who have revived their spirituality and tradition in this complex time, was opened up." The primate told Gerhard Schroeder about what the church had to endure in the difficult years and he expressed the opinion that without a spiritual rebirth the political leadership of the country will have difficulty solving the tasks that Russia faces. The lavra itself and its churches made a great impression on the chancellor.
In the Trinity church the guest turned his attention to the icon of the Holy Trinity and the primate of the church presented him as a memento a small copy along with an icon of the Nativity of Christ. In the words of the patriarch, the chancellor greatly appreciated the skill of the choir of the lavra. "I saw that he was sincerely moved listening to the church music," Patriarch Alexis said.
The day before the president of Russia and chancellor Germany had attended the Christmas service in the church of Christ the Savior. As reported by RIA Novosti, at the time of the divine liturgy Vladimir Putin, Gerhard Schroeder and their spouses stood to the right of the altar, at the choir near the icon of the "Adoration of the Magi of the Infant Christ."
Gerhard Schroeder noted that he and his wife were very much pleased by the atmosphere and climate that surrounded them in the course of the visit. The German chancellor was especially struck by the Orthodox service which he attended on the day before and by the visit on Sunday to the Saint Sergius Holy Trinity lavra which, in his words, were "just about the high point of the visit." (tr. by PDS)
SCHROEDER FIRST, ALEXIS SECOND
by Irina Rinaeva, Roman Arshansky
Moskovskii komsomolets, 10 January 2001
The habit of our president of being late has already become proverbial. Kremlin staffers explain with a slight smile that it is because Vladimir Vladimirovich is such an enthusiastic and thoughtful person. As long as all questions in one meeting, for example, have not been completely clarified, then he doesn't make it to the next rendezvous. However, on Christmas day, 7 January, Putin offended, so to speak, the Lord God himself by his irresponsibility.
On Orthodox Christmas the Putins, as is known, received the Schroeder family (the visit coincided with the birthday of Putin's wife). On 7 January the schedule had two extremely pleasant items: a trip to Kolomenskoe and a trip to Saint Sergius Holy Trinity lavra where the patriarch was supposed to show the guests the monastery and entertain them at a meal. And after this Alexis II was expected at the church of Christ the Savior for the great Christmas vespers, one of the most solemn services which was made even more significant since the first Christmas of the new millennium has arrived. Hundreds and hundreds of believers planned to see the patriarch. . . .
Meanwhile the Putins' and Schroeders' morning trip to Kolomenskoe proceeded very pleasurably. At the cottage of Peter I they got on a sleigh. A troika of very rare Vladimir stallions had been found especially for the presidential sleigh in one of the horse sports clubs. After galloping about the Voznesensky garden they rode (Putin and Shroeder with their spouses, covered by natural bear skins, were in the middle with security guards in front and behind) up to the house of a beekeeper. Putin was given a panel with an illustration of the Kolomenskoe church of the Ascension and Shroeder one with the church of the Kazan Mother of God. For the women peasant quilts had been obtained. In addition, with a Russian song Liudmila Zykina presented both of them down shawls.
Everything would have been fine but after the Kolomenskoe entertainment it became evident that the two heads of state would be late in arriving at the patriarch's place at the lavra . . . by two hours.
On the patriarchal table the anchovies were getting warm, lobsters were going bad, sturgeon with potatoes was growing cold, and sauerkraut was turning to juice (that's the kind of menu prepared for high guests). Accordingly, Alexis II himself arrived at the church of Christ the Savior late. As we were told at the patriarchate, the patriarch was supposed to conduct the great Christmas vespers. But for the presidential party this, it seems, was no impediment; only holding up a few priests. In the end, while the Putins and Shroeders dined at His Holiness' place, the service went on without Alexis II (instead of four o'clock in the afternoon he showed up at the vespers at six o'clock). Beneath the vaults of the church of Christ the Savior, apparently, both the clergy and ordinary parishioners and extremely famous persons--Voloshin, Matvienko, Gorbachev, Patrushev, Sergeev, Ziuganov, Chernomyrdin--all were bewildered.
Everything ended up with the delayed Alexis II smoothing out the awkwardness with a congratulatory speech. And whether it is worth returning to protocol slip ups--the main thing is that the president had a good sleigh ride. (tr. by PDS, posted 10 January 2001)
Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus today visited a children's Christmas party in the Hall of Church Councils of the church of Christ the Savior, the first patriarchal Christmas party in this room. The patriarchal party was attended primarily by pupils of Sunday schools and by crippled children.
Christmas is "to a great extent a children's holiday," the primate of the Russian Orthodox church noted. Children are given gifts and the Christmas trees are put up for them. "It is very important," the patriarch emphasized, "that children from early years embrace the bases of faith, since what is laid down now remains for the whole life."
The patriarch advised the children to "obey and honor their elders, love God and neighbors, and try to help them." Alexis II stressed especially that it is important for children to try to fulfill the commands of Christ in life. "We always look upon children with hope since they have to live in the future and continue our work," he said.
The Hall of Church Councils can accommodate 1500 persons. After the program the children were taken to the dining room where a holiday meal was laid out for them. The party was organized by the Moscow patriarchate and the "Church and Culture" foundation. The concert that was a substantial part of the celebration included pupils of Sunday schools of the churches of Moscow and a number of Russian regions. (tr. by PDS, posted 10 January 2001)
VLADIMIR PUTIN PRAISES POSITION OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF AZERBADZHAN
NTV, 10
January 2001
The Russian president praised the "wise, measured position of religious leaders" of Azerbaidzhan and all the Caucasus, thanks to which "it has been possible to avoid the expansion of many regional conflicts into interreligious ones." Vladimir Putin said this today at a meeting with the leader of Azerbaidzhan Muslims, Sheik-ul-islam Allakhshukiur Pashazade, and leaders of the Orthodox and Jewish communities of Azerbaidzhan, ITAR-TASS reports.
"For the Caucasus, with its unique ethnic and religious composition, what you have done in the past years in conditions of regional conflicts has had a positive effect. In the Caucasus the word of a pastor is treated with special feeling," Putin said. "Your position is important and productive."
After recalling his meeting in Moscow two months ago with the Sheik-ul-Islam, the catholicos of all-Armenians, and Patriarch Alexis II the Russian president said that he has "no doubt that religious leaders are interested in the search for a resolution of all problems." "Russia," Putin emphasized, "will accept any resolution of all questions, including that of Nagorny-Karabakh, if it suits the conflicting parties."
The Sheik-ul-Islam expessed his gratitude that in the course of two months the president had been able to meet with him twice. He stressed that Vladimir Putin's visit promotes the development of relations between the peoples of Russia and Azerbaidzhan and he noted that Muslims are happy about the contents of the joint statements, primarily the declaration of the presidents of the presidents of the two countries. (tr. by PDS, posted 10 January 2001)
UKRAINIAN COUNCIL AGAIN CALLS FOR CREATION OF LOCAL UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX
CHURCH
NTV, 10
January 2001
A local council of the Ukrainian Orthodox church--Kiev patriarchate called the leadership of the country "to multiply its efforts for the creation of favorable conditions for the unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy and the recognition of a united local Ukrainian Orthodox church during 2001." This was stated in an appeal of the local council of UPTs(KP) that was held on Tuesday in Kiev, according to "Echo of Moscow" citing Interfax.
Delegates of the council expressed support for the leadership of the country "in the business of strengthening the stability of Ukrainian society, building the Ukrainian state, especially in the sphere of spirituality, establishing the morality of the people on evangelical Christian bases, and preserving and expanding the range of communication in the Ukrainian language." They thanked the leadership of the state for supporting the idea of creating a united local Ukrainian Orthodox church and also for the invitation for Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to visit Ukraine.
As noted in the document, the Constantinople patriarchate and its head, Patriarch Bartholomew I personally, have joined in the work of unification of Orthodoxy in Ukraine.
In addition, the council adopted an appeal to bishops, clergy, and laity of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox church and all Orthodox people of Ukraine which called them to unification in a united local Ukrainian Orthodox church.
At the present time Orthodoxy in the country is represented by three religious organizations, the Ukrainian Orthodox church (Moscow patriarchate), Ukrainian Orthodox church (Kiev patriarchate) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox church. (tr. by PDS, posted 10 January 2001)
BELGOROD DIOCESE CONDEMNS DECLARATION REGARDING REFUSAL OF TAX NUMBER
NTV, 9 January
2001
According to a statement of the press service of the Belgorod and Starooskolsk diocese of the Russian Orthodox church, in the final months of 2000 leaflets containing the text of "Sample statement of rejection of tax number" were circulated on the grounds of churches and in a number of enterprises and institutions. The authors of these leaflets are putting into believers' heads the idea that accepting a tax identification number is "apostasy from God and consent to receive upon yourself the seal of antichrist."
With the blessing of Archbishop Ioann of Belgorod and Starooskolsk, the press service of the diocese has declared that no written or oral blessing from the leadership of the Russian Orthodox church has been given to the rejection by citizens of the issuance of a tax number. In connection with this the press service of the diocese called residents of the province not to give in to unfounded panic or to pay any attention to any "declarations regarding rejection of a tax number" suggested by unknown persons. It calls them to consider the publication of these statements in several of the press media mistaken and not in conformity with the position of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox church. (tr. by PDS, posted 10 January 2001)
TAJIK SPECIAL SERVICES CONSIDER BOMBINS OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IN DUSHANBE
TERRORIST ACTS
NTV, 10
January 2001
The explosions before New Year's near an Orthodox church and Adventist house of prayer in Dushanbe most likely were terrorist acts. This was stated today to a reporter of ITAR-TASS by a representative of the investigative department of the Ministry of Security of Tajikistan. He reported that the special services had opened a criminal case on a charge of "terrorism" in connection with this.
In his words, at the present time undercover investigative measures are being taken directed at the search for and establishment of the identity of the perpetrators and planners of the explosions. The representative of the investigative department considers that in view of their small power the explosions had a "demonstrative" character and were intended to undermine public security.
As reported earlier, as a result of the explosions that occurred within a few minutes of each other, the church buildings did not sustain serious material damage and there were no personal injuries inasmuch as both the divine service in the Orthodox church and the meeting in the Adventist house of prayer had already occurred in the afternoon and both buildings were empty at the time. (tr. by PDS, posted 10 January 2001)
RUSSIA TRIES TO OUTLAW 'SUBVERSIVE' SALLY ARMY
by Patrick Cockburn In Moscow
The Independent (London), 10 January 2001
OFFICIALS IN Moscow are seeking to close down the city's Salvation Army because, they claim, it is a subversive paramilitary group dedicated to the violent overthrow of the Russian government.
The city authorities have persuaded local courts to uphold the rejection of an application by the Salvation Army, which feeds 7,000 homeless people a month in the capital, to be allowed to register. The official deadline for registration passed at the end of last year.
In its evidence the Moscow Department of Justice cited the Salvation Army's uniforms, and the fact that its members have military ranks, as a sign that it is secretly a subversive organisation.
"It's mind-boggling," said Colonel Kenneth Baillie, the head of the Salvation Army in the former Soviet Union. "The city government can now apply for our liquidation as a religious organisation in Moscow."
He does not know who is behind the campaign against his organisation, founded in Britain in 1865, but the court verdicts are already having an impact on its work. In one Moscow district, Salvation Army volunteers had organised, with local social services, a meals-on-wheels service to bring food, cooked in a cheap restaurant, to 40 elderly people too feeble to prepare their own or to shop themselves. When news began to circulate in the Russian press about the organisation's legal problems with the city government, the director of social services in the district said the scheme must stop because the Salvation Army was not registered.
Col Baillie, an American who has worked in Russia for three years, says the problems facing his organisation have increased rapidly in the past month. The Salvation Army holds religious services at seven different places in the Russian capital. At one of them, the local chief of police recently turned up in uniform. As soon as the service was over he stood up and demanded to see the documents of all those who had taken part. Elsewhere in Moscow, the Salvation Army will have to leave two properties it rents because landlords say they are afraid of renewing a rental agreement with an organisation without official registration.
The Salvation Army has been in Moscow since 1992. Its present difficulties stem from the Law on Religious Organisations passed in 1997. This was primarily aimed at consolidating the position of the Russian Orthodox Church, which, since the fall of Communism, has wanted to recover its old status as the official state church, which it held under the Tsars.
Col Baillie says the Salvation Army discovered two years ago that it was going to face problems in the capital, though its application for official registration was not officially rejected until August 1999.
It has been caught up in a legal wrangle, extraordinary even by Russian standards. At first, different courts claimed they had no jurisdiction over the case. When it was finally heard the city lawyer did not turn up. He had no reason to. Unknown to the Salvation Army, he had filed a private brief alleging that the group might be plotting an insurrection. The court agreed with him and its decision was upheld on appeal.
There is still a chance that the venerable organisation may escape a complete shutdown in Moscow. An official committee of religious experts, set up under the 1997 law, says that the Salvation Army is exactly what it says it is.
Col Baillie, bemused by the accusation that he is a secret revolutionary,
hopes he may be able to register his organisation nationally, making registration
in Moscow unnecessary. (Copyright 2001 Newspaper Publishing PLC, posted
10 January 2001)
Divine services in the churches of Moscow devoted to the Birth of Christ were attended by around 700,000 believers "Echo of Moscow" reports citing the press service of the Moscow State Department of Internal Affairs. Approximately 300,000 persons attended Orthodox churches and monasteries on Christmas night. Altogether holiday services were conducted in more than 200 churches of Moscow.
The crime situation in the city was calm. In the past forty-eight hours not a single murder was reported in the capital. On 7 January 1453 persons were taken into police stations for disturbing public order in a drunken state; 233 of these were sent to detoxification clinics. Police arrested 575 persons for petty hooliganism. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 January 2001)
PATRIARCH ALEXIS II VISITED CHRISTMAS PARTY IN STATE KREMLIN PALACE
strana.ru,
9 January 2001
Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all-Rus today invited Moscow's children to the Christmas party ["Yolka"] in the State Kremlin Palace during the Christmas "Sviatki," according to ITAR-TASS. Along with the president's wife, Liudmila Putina, and the head of the adminstration of the presidency of RF, Alexander Voloshin, the primate of the church attended the Christmas production and before its opening gave Christmas greetings to the children.
He recalled that the holiday of Christ's Birth is glorious and joyful and "as the wise men from the East 2000 years ago, when they learned of the birth of the Savior of the world, brought to the divine infant their gifts, gold, incense, and myrrh, the church in these days tries to bring children joy with Christmas presents and productions." Patriarch Alexis recalled that this year the holiday of Christmas is special; with it the twenty-first century and the third millennium begin. The patriarch encouraged the children to study diligently and to grow up to be good and honest persons in order to be of service to the fatherland in the future.
The sponsors of the production are the Moscow Federation of Unions and the government of Moscow. In the 38 years since the beginning of conducting New Year's-Christmas productions here around eleven million children have attended. This year children from various regions of Russia were invited to the State Kremlin Palace, along with those from Ukraine and Belorussia, including residents of children's homes, children from unfortunate families, and sons and daughters of members of the crew of "Kursk" who perished and children of soldiers of the 201st motorized division deployed in Tazikistan and the Tula division that fought in Chechnia. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 January 2001)
SECOND AND THIRD DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
by Filipp Taratorkin
strana.ru,
8 January 2001
In the Orthodox church calendar every great holiday is celebrated on more than one day. On the eve of the holiday there is the "precelebration" [predprazdnstvo] and the day after the holiday is called the "poprazdnstvo." Besides this several of the holidays have a more extended, eight-day "postcelebration" [poprazdnstvo]. This period, when the music of the current holiday is sung in the churches and the icon of the holiday remains in the center of the church, continues to the so-called "surrender" [otdanie] of the holiday, the last of the series of festive days.
Whereas on the holiday of Christ's Nativity itself the attention of Orthodox believers is concentrated on reverencing the divine infant Jesus who was born in Bethlehem, on the second day of Christmas the church glorifies the one thanks to whom the birth of Christ was able to become a reality in human history, the Most Holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary. Thus the second day of Christmas is called the Assembly of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Metropolitan Anthony Bloom of Surozh describes the spiritual meaning of the calendrical custom this way: "On the day after the holiday of Christmas, when we could not tear our attention away from the Son of God who became the Son of Man, at vespers and matins we turn to the Mother of God. And after Epiphany at vespers and matins on the next day we concentrate our spiritual gaze and our thoughts on John the Baptizer . . . . On the day after the birth of John the Baptizer we recall his parents and after the Nativity of the Theotokos, her parents. Thus nobody who played a decisive role in the preparation and carrying out of the event is forgotten or excluded by our ungratefulness. The church is thankful and calls us to remember the unnoticed participants in the event."
Also on the second day of Chistmas the church recalls with grateful memory other physical relatives of Jesus Christ: St. Joseph the fiance, who preserved the virginity of the Mother of God and was her apparent husband, St. David the King, author of the Old Testament psalms predicting the advent of the Savior to the world, and also St. James, one of the sons of Joseph, who can be called a step-brother of Jesus Christ and who later was the first Christian bishop in Jerusalem.
On the third day of Christmas the church recalls the first Christian martyr, St. Apostle Archdeacon Stephen, who was stoned to death for preaching Christ. Since from the time of the church father Tertullian (second century) it has been customary to think that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity," the celebration of the memory of the holy first martyr archdeacon Stephen on the third day of Christian is symbolic. St. Stephen produced the fruit of Christ's advent: the bold witness to Christ as the Son of God in the name of the church that he founded. His suffering, like the holy deeds of the innumerable host of martyrs for the name of Christ and the Christian faith of all times, is "proof" that Christmas, which the church joyously celebrates, has not remained unfruitful for human history. Its proclamation has radically changed the entire spiritual path of humanity and has become for it invisible news, a bold challenge, and an "object of reproach" for many centuries. "Behold this one has been laid for the fall and rising of many in Israel and as an object of reproach," the elder Simeon, holding in his hands the divine infant Jesus, predicted his fate. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 January 2001)
ALEXY II HOPES FOR PEACE, SPIRITUAL REVIVAL IN 21ST CENTURY. .
TASS, 8 January 2001
Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia on Monday expressed the hope that the 21st century will bring peace and spiritual revival in Russia.
"The Russian Orthodox Church is entering a new era with a firm belief that peace and accord will prevail and holy Orthodoxy will revive in our long-suffering land," he said after leading a religious service at Moscow's Epiphany Cathedral on the second day of Christmas.
The patriarch expressed confidence that one could no longer worry for the Russian Church which was subjected to harsh persecution in the 20th century.
"Today we are witnessing the change of generations among the clergy and a large number of people who have come to church and wishing their lives to be based on traditional spiritual and moral values of our people", Alexy II said.
He stressed that the 20th century will go down in history as a period of Renaissance of the Russian Orthodox Church. (posted 9 January 2001)
PATRIARCH CONDUCTS CHRISTMAS VESPERS
by Dmitry Safonov
strana.ru,
8 January 2001
Today in Epiphany cathedral Patriarch Alexis II conducted the Christmas vespers that he had been unable to conduct yesterday because of his meeting with President Putin and Chancellor Schroeder. All the vicar bishops of the Moscow diocese gathered in the church, including Metropolitan Pitirim of Volokolamsk and Yuriev, the one whose anniversary is celebrated today, Metropolitan Sergius of Solnechnogorsk, Archbishop Arseny of Istrinsk, Bishop Alexis of Orekhovo-Zuevsk, Bishop Savva of Krasnogorsk, and bishops of fraternal local Orthodox churches, abbots of Moscow and suburban monasteries, abbesses of convents, deans of Moscow and the Moscow diocese, rectors and priests of Moscow and suburban churches, and thousands of ordinary believers.
The point of all this is that by tradition that has developed, on the second day of Christmas the bishops of Moscow diocese greet the patriarch as ruling bishop.
The congratulatory address was given by Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna whose jurisdiction includes the churches and monasteries (other than stauropigial monasteries) of the Moscow diocese. He began his speech with a question about what the church is taking into the new millennium and he gave this answer: "I think that I express the opinion of the church if I say that we all--the sons and daughters of the Russian Orthodox church--enter the new millennium with holy faith in the immutable words of Christ, 'I will build my church and the gates of hell will not overcome it.' With the profound recognition that God is with us we enter a new year of God's goodness. We have previously been educated in the examples of the saintly heroes of faith, especially the examples of the holy martyrs, but when we read their lives we feel that that was a different epoch and another time. Still they inspired us by their faith. Now, by God's mercy, the Lord has shown to us an innumerable host of Russian saintly martyrs and confessors who are so close and clear to us by their lives and endurance. One of them is Archbishop Anufry of Kursk who was shot on 1 July 1938. In exhorting one of his spiritual sons, who feared for the future of the church in Russia, he wrote: 'You ask me, dear friend, what will it be like for our Orthodox church thirty years from now when all believers have died and they have been replaced by the current generation of evil enemies of God's church. Alongside the enemies of God's church there undoubtedly will arise its friends. However few they may be, they will be strengthened by its truth and under the hail of ridicule and restrictions they will fortify their faith and devotion to the church and along with the pastors of the church they will come to the defense of Christ's church. Perhaps the blood of believers will flow, but let it be the seed like in the first centuries of Christianity, the seed from which will grow the Christian company. For Christ's church persecution is not news; it has always been. When unbelieving persecutors see the unwavering steadfastness of Orthodox Christians, sealed with blood, then some of them, freed to embrace God's truth, undoubtedly will stand side by side with the confessors of Christ, as happened with the ancient pagans who, seeing the faith of Christians, themselves were turned from tormentors to followers of Christ."
Then Metropolitan Yuvenaly turned to the patriarch and said: "Your Holiness, it was not thirty but many more years that passed from the time these prophetic words, filled with a vital and firm faith, were pronounced. Today when we surround you at the beginning of the third millennium with thanks to the Lord we celebrate the regeneration and dynamic restoration of church life and the coming to the church of Christ of thousands, perhaps even millions of our countrymen, and from this church which you lead with wisdom and profound faith we bring to you our warm, cordial, and filial greetings on the great holiday of Christ's Birth. We thank you for your untiring, sacrificial love and primatial ministry, we wish you many of God's mercies, and we pray the Lord that he preserve you for many years."
In his response address Patriarch Alexis said: "Your holiness, dear master, fraternal archpastors, reverend fathers, dear brothers and sisters. First, I think the metropolitan for his words of greetings based on the experience of that difficult period we lived through in the life of the church, which our predecessors had to endure, professing the holy faith, and accepting persecution and suffering for Christ the Savior. And it was not only in the thirties that the confessor of our church, the archpastor of Kursk, faced the question of what the church would be after thirty years. I recall even your words when we visited Yaroslavl when you said, 'Who will come to replace these elderly folk who have believed and preserved the traditions of church life?' Then we saw in all churches a new generation of church people who received from the old generation the tradition of church life. And we are observing a change of generations who are coming to replace the older generation and who continue the ministry of Christ's church, and we cannot but rejoice at the presence of a multitude of children in our churches, who from early years are imbibing the bases of the faith and traditions of the church and the moral foundations of life. Christmas of this year is special because with it begin the twenty-first century and the third millennium from the birth of Christ. Standing on the threshold of a new century and the beginning of the third millennium we thank the Lord that the past decade of the departing difficult and tragic century was associated with the regeneration of church life and with the return of many of our countrymen to faith in Christ. Really, we have seen the fulfillment of the words of Christ the Savior: 'I will build my church and the gates of hell will not overcome it.' It has seemed that all the forces of hell rose against Christ's church in the twenties, thirties, and later decades, but the church of Christ withstood and has come to this boundary, to the twenty-first century and the third millennium, reviving churches, reviving cloisters for men and women, reviving religious education, and reviving the social ministry of the church. And at the threshold of the new twenty-first century and the third millennium we should, while looking over the past and peering into the future, say: 'Praise God for everything, for the sorrows and for the joys that we have endured in the past and with the hope that the Lord will not abandon his church even in the coming twenty-first century and in the beginning of the third millennium.
"I heartily greet the fraternal archpastors, representatives of local Orthodox churches, fathers superior of cloisters, mothers superior of convents, deans, rectors of Moscow churches, and clergy, pastors and deacons who perform their ministry in our capital city and in Moscow diocese; I greet the directors of ecclesiastical educational institutions and through them the students and graduates who are acquiring knowledge and training so that they can continue God's work in the church. I greet our Orthodox believing nation, which is always loyal to Christ's church and which has transmitted the bases of faith to their grandsons and granddaughters, and their sons and daughters, who in the seventy years of separation from the spiritual bases of faith remained true to the faith of Christ and, confessing in the singing of the holiday that God is with us, we believe that the Lord is with us and if the Lord is with us and we are with the Lord, then no difficulties in bearing our cross in life will be fearsome for us. Each of us, whom the Lord has placed in various ministries of the church of Christ, we all must perform our ministry with all of our might for the good of Christ's church and the sake of our longsuffering people, who need both strengthening of faith and support in difficulties and trials. May the Lord bless our future labors and the labors of each of us in the coming century so that in our longsuffering land may be created peace and harmony, and the spiritual values of holy Orthodoxy may be reborn. Greetings to all of you on this holiday, my dear ones!"
Then dozens of clerics approached the patriarch with enormous bouquets of flowers which barely fit on the altar. After this thousands of Muscovite believers, pressing against one another, surged forward to greet the patriarch. This process continued for about two hours and the patriarch greeted each one who approached him, and he gave Christmas presents to the children. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 January 2001)
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