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Archbishop of Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for external church relations, sent the following message to Avgust Kruze, archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia, with condolences over the death of the retired archbishop Prof. Georg Friedrich Karl Krechmar.

Dear Brother in Christ:

Please accept my sincere condolences over the death of the retired archbishop Prof. Georg Friedrich Karl Krechmar.

We have known him for many years and highly appreciated his profound knowledge of Orthodoxy, his love and respect of the Russian Orthodox Church he had shown during his lifetime.

Prof. Krechmar had been a serious scholar and author of many books and other publications. He has participated in the dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Church in Germany from its very beginning and its co-chairman since 1963.

He became the head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia in 1994, and for over ten years in this capacity he worked for the revival of the Lutheran community. Archbishop Georg Krechmar maintained close friendly contacts with the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2005, he turned 80 and was awarded the Order of the Holy and Right-Believing Prince Daniel, 2nd class.

We shall always remember Georg Krechmar as a hard worker, a serious theologian and a sincere friend of our Church.

Georg Krechmar so remarkably said in his report at the theological talks with the Russian Orthodox Church in 1974, “Where Christians in their innermost sacred life follow God Who abides in the Church, the renewal of the world has already begun, as Christians live by the Resurrection and in expectation of their resurrection.

With love in the Lord,

+ Hilarion

Archbishop of Volokolamsk

Chairman

Department for External Church Relation

Moscow Patriarchate