Telegrams of condolences

TELEGRAMS OF CONDOLENCES

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia sent a telegram of condolences over the natural calamity in India to His Excellency Mr.A.B.Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India:

It was with profound sorrow that I received the tragic news of the terrible disaster which has befallen India. this catastrophe which has taken ten of thousand lives of your compatriots has brought pain to the hearts of all Russian Orthodox Christians. It is very difficult to find words to console you and to express our grief. Please accept our profound condolences and assurance of our invariable support by the Russian Church of all necessary efforts aimed at the healing of this terrible wound, which are undertaken by the world community and the Russian federation. I wish the strength of spirit, courage and patience to you, the relatives and near ones of those perished and all people of India.

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate also sent a telegram of condolences to His Excellency Mr.A.B.Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India:

Your Excellency, highly respected Mr. Prime Minister! please accept my profound condolences over numerous victims of the awful tragedy which has fallen upon India and taken ten of thousands human lives. we, believers of the Russian Orthodox Church, share this pain with all relatives and near ones of those perished. The help of all world community is a visible expression of comparison and participation, and I would like to express hope that the selfless work of the Russian rescuers will also bring its results. On these sorrowful days the closeness of all human family and the value of the sacred gift of life are being felt particularly. This tragedy makes us think about the necessity of real rapprochement among nations and creative cooperation between our countries, which must serve our mutual benefit and facilitate civil and interreligious peace.