His Holiness celebrates festive Divine services in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on Palm Sunday

In the evening of 15 April 2006, the eve of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy and Archbishop Arseny of Istra celebrated the All-Night Vigil service and the office of the Blessing of the Palms in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

On the feast day, April 16, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated Divine Liturgy together with Archbishop Arseny of Istra and Bishop Alexander of Dmitrov.

His Holiness the Patriarch bestowed church awards on some Moscow clergymen during the service, after which he addressed his concelebrants and worshippers with his primatial homily.

His Holiness greeted them with the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. ‘We bless the palms on this day as a symbol of the

Resurrection. In our country willows are the first plants to witness the beginning of life that conquers death. Our Lord Jesus Christ Who has just raised Lazarus was met in Jerusalem with great joy as the Conqueror of death’.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy reminded the worshippers that the Holy Week would begin next day. The believers will pray and recall the last earthly days of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said: ‘Let us not only recall these events, but share in them and feel compassion, as we know that the Saviour suffered on the Cross for us men and for our salvation. Let us remember that the Lord is always willing to heed the prayers of our hearts. We believe that the Lord is with us also on this great feast and blesses our lives’.