His Holiness the Patriarch and Moscow Mayor met with Children from Children’s Homes

HIS HOLINESS THE PATRIARCH AND MOSCOW MAYOR MET WITH CHILDREN FROM CHILDREN’S HOMES

Traditional meeting of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and Moscow Mayor Yuri M.Luzhkov with children from children’s homes and orphanages was held in Christ the Saviour Cathedral on 20 December 2001.

Taking part in the meeting were over 300 children. Young guests had tea with honey in the Cathedral refectory. Russian beekeepers presented 50 small barrels of honey to the children’s homes and boarding schools of the capital city.

His Holiness the Patriarch and the Mayor greeting the participants of the ‘festival of honey’ with the upcoming holidays – the Nativity of Christ and the New Year. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church blessed the children and called them to become knowledgeable, to love and preserve nature and help one another. His Holiness pointed that bees are hard-working creatures. The Holy Scripture says: Go to the bee, and see how industrious she is (cf. Proverbs, 6). His Holiness Patriarch Alexy thanked the organizers of the feast and noted with appreciation that more children get an opportunity to take part in it with every passing year. Yu.M.Luzhkov told the children about the life of bees. Also speaking at the meeting were A.Butov, Chairman of the Russian Beekeepers’ Union and Ms.A.Kezina, Chairman of the Moscow Education Committee.

The children had a sightseeing of Christ the Saviour Cathedral.