Primates of the Russian and Greek Orthodox Churches celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Butovo

PRIMATES OF THE RUSSIAN AND GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES CELEBRATED THE DIVINE LITURGY IN BUTOVO

On 12 May 2001 His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Archbishop Chrystodoulos of Athens and All Greece celebrated the Divine Liturgy and the Requiem Litiya in Butovo, where the archpastors, pastors and faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church had been shot to death for their faith in Christ in the years of the persecussions in Russia.

The Primates in concelebration with the hierarchs and clergymen of the two fraternal Orthodox Churches and in the presence of many believers have offered up prayers ‘for the repose of the souls of the servants of God who suffered for the faith and truth and died as martyrs here, and for the forgiveness of all their sins both voluntary and involuntary’.

After the Divine Liturgy His Holiness Patriarch Alexy said to the believers that the divine service on the Butovo ground held on a Saturday between Paschal and Trinity days of the remembrance of the dead has become a tradition. ‘We remember in prayers those who died as martyrs and believe that the Church of Christ is established by their blood of the martyrs. We believe that those who died for the faith and truth pray for our Fatherland, for our Holy Church and for our suffering people, who had endured many trials’, – said the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

His Beatitude Archbishop Chrystodoulos of Athens and All Greece reminded the worshippers the words of Feodor M.Dostoevsky: ‘If there is no God, then anything is permitted’. This anything includes hatred, malice, fratricide and any other crime, – said His Beatitude. – This rainy day is very apt to remember those whom we commemorate today, as it helps us to lament for the contemporary man who has abandoned God.

While offering up the prayers for the victims of the struggle between good and evil we must draw a lesson from it. We shall never be absolutely happy and absolutely free in our life unless we hold our beloved Helmsmen Jesus Christ as a corner stone. We are especially happy because there are Greeks among the assembly of the martyrs, whom we commemorate today. The Greek and Russian blood has mingled on this tragic place and become an incense before God’s altar. It reminds us of our common efforts and aspirations of our two fraternal Churches. We leave a part of our hearts with you and wish you joy and peace in your hearts, – said His Beatitude Archbishop Chrystodoulos.

Father Kirill Kaleda, rector of the Church dedicated to the new Russian martyrs and confessors in Butovo, presented the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church the icon of the holy martyr Seraphim (Chichagov), who was shot here.