His Holiness is a prize-winner of St. Andrew-the-First-Called

HIS HOLINESS IS A PRIZE-WINNER
OF ST. ANDREW-THE-FIRST-CALLED

On April 22, 1998, an annual ceremony of awarding the prize of St. Andrew-the-First-Called was held at the State Kremlin Palace. The prize was established by the Orthodox Charity Foundation of the same name and is conferred for the contribution into the strengthening of political, spiritual, intellectual, economic and defence might of the country. Among the winners of 1997 are His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and all Russia and His Holiness Patriarch Paul of Serbia. During the ceremony of awarding the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church the audience welcomed him standing. The contribution of His Holiness to the revival of Orthodoxy, the spiritual and moral foundations of the life of Russians, of peace and concord in society is generally recognised not only in Russia but in the whole world. His Holiness the Patriarch said that he took the award as an appreciation of activities of the whole Russian Orthodox Church which is reviving its historical ministry after decades of persecution.