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On May 17, 2012, the 5th anniversary of the reunification of the Russian Church Outside Russia with the Moscow Patriarchate, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Cathedral of the Trinity at the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. It was led by Bishop Agapit of Stuttgart, who was on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Among his concelebrants were Archimandrite Isidor (Minaev), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, the Mission’s clergy and the clergy of the Russian Church Outside Russia who came as part of a pilgrims group from Germany. Among the worshippers was Bishop Tikhon of Podolsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate administrative and economic office, who had taken part that night in the night liturgy celebrated on the Lord’s Sepulchre.

As Russian Mission’s website has reported, Bishop Tikhon read out a Message from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia issued on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church Outside Russia. After the liturgy, Bishop Tikhon and Bishop Agapit said a thanksgiving on the occasion of the anniversary.

In his address to the congregation, Bishop Agapit cordially congratulated the faithful on the occasion and shared his memories of the events that preceded the signing of the Act. Bishop Isidor presented hierarchs with pectoral icons as tokens of the liturgy celebrated on that memorable day.

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The Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church Outside Russia was signed in a solemn ceremony on May 17, 2007, the Ascension Day, at the cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. It marked the restoration of unity within the Local Russian Orthodox Church.

DECR Communication Service