Russian State Customs Committee conveys to the Russian Orthodox Church icons confiscated from smugglers

RUSSIAN STATE CUSTOMS COMMITTEE CONVEYS TO THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH ICONS CONFISCATED FROM SMUGGLERS

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia blessed a new building compound of the Russian State Customs Committee at Fili in Moscow, on July 30, 2002.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church lifted up prayers that God might help the Russian Customs officers in their work for the good of the Fatherland.

His Holiness noted with satisfaction the high level of mutual understanding and cooperation characteristic of relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Customs Committee.

His Holiness expressed special gratitude to the Russian Customs for their everyday struggle with drug-traffickers who bring incalculable disaster upon the entire younger generation.

The State Customs Committee conveyed to the Russian Orthodox Church 21 icons smugglers tried to take out of Russia. In the Committee’s estimation, their total cost amounts to some 60 thousand rubles.

According to the Chairman of the State Customs Committee, M. Vanin, in total over 2500 attempts at smuggling national cultural valuables including icons and church vessels were stopped in 2001.

Mr. Vanin said that a good tradition of handing confiscated Orthodox shrines to the Russian Church was established during the last decade.

In his response, Patriarch Alexy thanked the customs officials for their tireless efforts for preserving the national cultural and religious heritage, noting the importance of the fact that the great spiritual treasures of our people were returned to the faithful.

Patriarch Alexy decorated Mr. Vanin with the Order of St. Radonezh, 2nd degree, and expressed hope that through the intercession of this man of God, blessed success would accompany Russian customs officers in their important professional work.

His Holiness also gave to Mr. Vanin a set of 15 medals with images of all the Russian Primates, issued on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of his enthronement.

In his turn, Mr. Vanin gave to His Holiness a book on the history of Russian customs, reflecting in particular the previous visit of His Holiness to the Customs Committee seven years ago.