His Holiness Patriarch Alexy meets with President of Russia Putin

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy met with the President of the Russian Federation V. Putin in the Kremlin on 2 April 2007.

During the event V. Putin greeted the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and all Orthodox Russians on the coming Feast of Easter. The President noted the significance of signing the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the ROCOR – ‘this is really an epoch-making event not only in the Church life, but also in the life of the whole society. I know how much you have done to make it possible and hope that it will be successfully accomplished’ – the President said.

Kremlin.ru reports that in his response Patriarch Alexy thanked the President for the greeting. ‘We have entered the Passion Week which prepares us for the Feast of Holy Easter. We hope that we will be able to see you at the Festive service and greet you on behalf of the whole Orthodox nation’ – His Holiness said.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church confirmed that the Act of Canonical Communion will be signed on 17 May at the Feast of the Lord’s Ascension. Patriarch Alexy underlined that the President of Russia also did much to make the unity possible during his meetings with the Holy Synod of the Abroad Church in New York and invited V. Putin to participate in this historical event’.

‘This is really not only a Church event, but the one which unites Russian people who by the God’s will were separated by the tragedy which struck our nation’ – the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said.

His Holiness is convinced that ‘now when 80 years passed after that and the Church in Russia gained freedom, there are no more obstacles which prevented us from uniting.’

‘Let us hope that we will overcome the separation which existed for 80 years and the united Russian Orthodox Church will serve her ministry both in Russia and abroad’ – His Holiness Patriarch Alexy said.

DECR Communication Service