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His Holiness Patriarch Alexy to take part in celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia during his visit to Belarus

20.10.2008 · Архив 2005-2009, События  

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia will visit Belarus from October 23 to 26, 2008. He will lead celebration of the 1020 anniversary of the Baptism of Russia. Celebrations are widely held in this jubilee year in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other countries which received the light of Christ from the Kievan baptismal font.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church will be met at ‘Minsk-2’ airport and proceed to the National library of the Republic of Belarus. His Holiness will see the exhibition of rare books and will meet participants of the international round table on ‘The Baptism of Russia in the destiny of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.’

It is reported that during His Holiness’ visit to the National library the staff of this largest information and cultural centre of the country will present the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia with an exact replica of the cross of St. Euphrosinya of Polotsk.

His Holiness will visit the House of Charity in Minsk, the first multifunctional social object of the Orthodox Church in Belarus, carrying out thirteen projects aimed at rendering spiritual, medical and social aid to the needy.

It will be the fourth visit of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy to the House of Charity which he consecrated in May 2002 in the presence pf the Belorussian President F. Lukashenko.

This spiritual, educational and social rehabilitation complex houses the ‘Eleos’ rehabilitation centre, church garments and icon-painting workshops, Sunday school, experimental classes of secondary school with Orthodox upbringing, the Sisterhood named after the holy martyrs the Grand Duchess Elizaveta and sister Varvara, and the social centre.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia will meet with the Belorussian believers; visit a holy well and the Church of St. Job. Its walls are decorated with frescos depicting the Assembly of the New Martyrs of the Minsk diocese of the 20th century and the Orthodox churches of Minsk destroyed during the atheistic times.

The next day His Holiness Patriarch Alexy will celebrate Divine Liturgy at the Minsk Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit.

Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk and All Belarus will present His Holiness with the exact copy of the Minsk icon of the Mother of God to commemorate his participation in the festivities. The miraculous icon was transferred to the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit from the closed Cathedral of Ss Peter and Paul in 1945.

That same day His Holiness is supposed to meet with the Belorussian President A. Lukashenko. They both will take part in the assembly in the Grand Hall of the Palace of the Republic to be followed by a concert.

On October 25, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and his suite will visit the National Museum of Arts and see the ‘Orthodox icons of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus’ exhibition.

His Holiness will also visit the Elizabeth’s Convent established in 1999 on the basis of the Orthodox Sisterhood that cared for the patients of the Republic Psychiatric Clinic and the City Clinic No.2 from 1996. The main purpose of the convent and the sisterhood is spiritual and social aid to the suffering people.

The programme also includes a visit to the Memorial Church of All Saints being constructed under the patronage of the Belorussian President and His Holiness Patriarch Alexy. The church will be the main spiritual national memorial to ten million of the citizens of the country and some four million Belorussian and people of Belorussian origin scattered throughout the world because of revolutions, wars, resettlement and repressions. Requiem services will be celebrated every day as a call to reconciliation in the Fatherlands and in the entire world.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russian blessed the foundation stone in June 1991 during his first primatial visit to Belarus.

Towards the end of the programme His Holiness will visit a wooden Church of the Life-Giving Trinity located near the memorial church under construction.