His Holiness Patriarch Alexy and His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos visits the memorial church on Poklonnaya Hill

HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH ALEXY AND HIS BEATITUDE ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS VISITS THE MEMORIAL CHURCH ON POKLONNAYA HILL

On May 6, the Commemoration Day of the Holy Protomartyr George the Victorer, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia conducted a thanksgiving at the memorial church on Poklonnaya Hill.

Among the worshipers were Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece and members of the official delegation accompanying him, His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archbishop Panteleimon of Rostov and Novocherkassk, and Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov.

After the service and veneration of the particles of the relics belonging to the Holy Protomartyr George the Victorer, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy addressed the congregation with a primatial homily on the occasion of the church’s patronal feast, saying in particular, “In this memorial church on Poklonnaya Hill, dedicated to the Holy Protomartyr George the Victorer, on the days when the Victory in the Great Patriotic War is celebrated, prayers are lifted up for the soldiers who gave their lives in defense of the Motherland”.

His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos thanked the Lord for the opportunity to celebrate together with His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia the memory of the Holy Protomartyr George the Victorer at the church devoted to the military feat performed by the Russian people. “In the years of World War II, the Russian Orthodox Church was at the head of the struggle of her people against the fascist invaders. The Church of Greece and the Greek people give honor and glory to the defender of Russia”, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Greece said. He fastened the Greek Orthodox Church’s Order of St. Paul to the Banner of Moscow.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Archbishop Christtodoulos extended congratulations to Moscow Mayor Luzhkov on his name-day and noted the contribution he made to the revival of shrines in the Primatial See of the Russian Orthodox Church.