STATEMENT by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on the 80th Anniversary of the Murder of Emperor Nicholas and His Family

STATEMENT by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on the 80th Anniversary of the Murder of Emperor Nicholas and His Family

Beloved in Christ, most reverend archpastors, venerable pastors,
God-loving monks and nuns, and
all the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church:

The 17th of July, 1998, marks the 80th anniversary of the murder of the Russian Emperor Nicholas and members of his family. Time takes us increasingly away from the day when this evil deed was committed. Several generations have given way to one another during this time, but the memory of that crime and the feeling of guilt for the lack of repentance for it has not been blotted out in our people. The murder of the Imperial family is a heavy burden on the people’s conscience still conscious of the fact that many of our ancestors, through either direct participation or approval or acquiescence, are guilty of this sin. Repentance for it should become a sign of the unity of our people which is reached not through indifferent acquiescence but thoughtful reflection on what happened to the country and the people. Only then it will be a unity not in form but in spirit.

Today, as it was five years ago, when we sent to the pastors and the flock a Letter devoted to the 75th anniversary of the Yekaterinburg tragedy, we testify again that “our people have not repented for the sin of regicide committed with the Russian citizens remaining indifferent. We call to repentance all our people – all their children regardless of their political convictions or views of history, regardless of their ethnic background or religious affiliation, regardless of their attitude to the idea of monarchy or to the personality of the last Russian emperor”.

Let the memory of the crime committed move us to make on this day a general repentance for the sin of apostasy and regicide- repentance accompanied by fasting and abstention, so that the Lord may hear our prayers and bless our Motherland with peace and prosperity.

On this day we call upon and bless the archpastors and pastors of our Holy Church to conduct requiem services commemorating the murdered Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Empress Alexandra and their children, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, Alexis, and their faithful servants and all those martyred and slain in the time of fierce persecution for the faith of Christ, whose names are known to the Lord.

Making this appeal, we profoundly regret that the sad anniversary of the murder of the Emperor and his family has been darkened by hard arguments around the remains found near Yekaterinburg.

On this day, the 17th of July, these remains will be buried at the Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg. The State Commission identified them as those of the Imperial family. As is known, the decision of the commission has provoked a twofold response in our society and the Church. Along with those who trust the Commission’s conclusions, there are those who do not accept them. The Church and the secular public have been divided in their judgment, and this division is apparently confrontational and painful. In this situation, the Supreme Church Authority, whose duty it is to take care of the unity of the Church and to promote civic peace and accord, is called by the very logic of the conflict to restrain from supporting a particular point of view.

Requiem services for the murdered Emperor, his family and all those martyred in the years of persecution will be conducted on this day in our churches; the same requiem service will be conducted at the Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul in the city on the Neva. This divine service will not be an act of recognition or non-recognition of the scientific conclusions with regard to the “Yekaterinburg remain”, but rather a fulfillment of Christian duty, the Church’s response to the requests for conducting a service for the repose of the souls during the burial of the remains.

Most reverend archpastors, all-honorable pastors, God-loving brothers and sisters! Today the plenitude of the Church is working hard to restore the ruined shrines, recovering the image of Holy Russia. Blessing this work, we call upon you to lift up prayers not only for the repose of the Imperial family, but also for all those slain and killed in the years of trouble, so that we may survive the difficult time experienced by the church and our people today in the spirit of harmony, not yielding to the pressure from vain discordance which is alien to the good of the Church.

Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding” (Rom. 14:19). “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways” (2 Thes. 3:16).

+ ALEXY, PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

Members of the Holy Synod:

+ VLADIMIR, METROPOLITAN OF KIEV AND ALL UKRAINE

+ VLADIMIR, METROPOLITAN OF ST. PETERSBURG AND LADOGA

+ PHILARET, METROPOLITAN OF MINSK AND SLUTSK, PATRIARCHAL EXARCH OF ALL BYELARUS

+ JUVENALY, METROPOLITAN OF KRUTITSY AND KOLOMNA

+ KIRILL, METROPOLITAN OF SMOLENSK AND KALININGRAD, CHAIRMAN OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR EXTERNAL CHURCH RELATIONS

+ VLADIMIR, METROPOLITAN OF KISHINEV AND ALL MOLDOVA

+ ANASTASY, ARCHBISHOP OF KAZAN AND TATARSTAN

+ YELEVFERY, BISHOP OF CHIKMENT AND AKMOLINSK

+ PETR, BISHOP OF TUROV AND MOZYR

+ IOANN, BISHOP OF BELGOROD AND STAROYE OSKOLYE

+ PITIRIM, BISHOP OF SYKTYBKAR AND VORKUTA

+ SERGY, ARCHBISHOP OF SOLNECHNOGORSK,
CHANCELLOR OF THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE