The gift of the Armenian Apostolic Church to the church of Christ the Saviour

THE GIFT OF THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST THE SAVIOUR

On August 18, at the eastern facade of the Church of Christ the Saviour, there was the opening of a khachkar, a stone with a carved image of the ornamented cross, given by the Armenian Apostolic Church to the Church of Christ the Saviour. Participating in the ceremony were His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. The primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church congratulated His Holiness the Patriarch, the clergy and the pious people of Russia on the Bimillennium of the Nativity of Christ and the reconstruction of the Church of Christ the Saviour. After the blessing of the khachkar, Patrirch Karekin II said in particular: «From Holy Echmiadzin we have brought a symbol of love. Opening the khachkar in the territory of the Church of Christ the Saviour, we pray that the cross, a symbol of our fellowship, may give blessing to the Holy Russian land which for centuries has welcomed the spiritual children of the Armenian Church with motherly love». Speaking on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy cordially welcomed the primate and the delegation of the Armenian Apostolic Church who came to Moscow for the church celebrations. His Holiness thanked them for the gift as a testimony to the traditional friendship between the Russian and Armenian peoples, noting that «next year the Russian Orthodox Church will take part in the celebrations devoted to the 1700th anniversary of the recognition of Christianity as the state religion of Armenia».