[metropropuskruww]

My wife has just told me that on Friday evening, some 600 monasteries and churches of Moscow were tolling their bells. She said it was a most moving event.

WOW....I can only imagine....
the funeral bells tolling are always mournfully moving, but so many of them, and for their beloved Patriarch....
Please share more about the feeling in Russia at this news, dear Andreas.

Regards,
Alice

[farmarrl]

A collection of photographs of His Holiness Patriarch Alexi, including very early ones of his youth:

http://www.orthodox.cn/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1529

That's the second biggest chalice I have ever seen.
Our parish served a trisagion for him today.

[mazabotman]

My wife and her family are watching television and there are regular films and features about the late Patriarch. The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour where his body lies is open twenty-four hours a day until the service on Tuesday. Thousands of faithful from all over Russia have come to pay their last respects and the queue stretches outside and around the Cathedral. Choirs of monks are chanting psalms and hymns continuously until Tuesday.

[mazabotman]

Repose of Patriarch Alexey II.jpg

The body of Patriarch Alexey II in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. My wife tells me that the arrangements for tomorrow are unprecedented. No president was ever accorded such treatment; the centre of Moscow will be closed to traffic and all 'entertainments' are banned.

[BenBoobmers]

"The just shall be in everlasting remembrance: he shall not fear the evil hearing..."
psalm 111

[farmarrl]

Repose of Patriarch Alexey II.jpg

The body of Patriarch Alexey II in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. My wife tells me that the arrangements for tomorrow are unprecedented. No president was ever accorded such treatment; the centre of Moscow will be closed to traffic and all 'entertainments' are banned.

I wonder how the world media will or IF they will speak of this service.

An observation in the above photo. Look at the subdeacon to the left and behind the archbishop on the platform.

An aside, the young looking bishop on the extreme right of the photo standing on the lefthand side of the bishop with the long beard is the bishop at St. Panteleimon monastery who served me the Holy Mysteries while I was on Athos. Does anyone know his name?

[BenBoobmers]

He is Bishop Mark d'Egoryevsk, who heads the department of external affairs for the Moscow patriarchate.

[jeaccatty]

He is Bishop Mark d'Egoryevsk, who heads the department of external affairs for the Moscow patriarchate.

I was under the impression that the chairman of the dept of external affairs of the MP is Metr Kyrill of Smolensk and Kalliningrad (now designated as the Patriarchal Locum Tenans).

Fr David Moser

[farmarrl]

He is Bishop Mark d'Egoryevsk, who heads the department of external affairs for the Moscow patriarchate.

Regardless of his title, Thank you for his name Alexander.

[mazabotman]

I was under the impression that the chairman of the dept of external affairs of the MP is Metr Kyrill of Smolensk and Kalliningrad (now designated as the Patriarchal Locum Tenans).

Fr David Moser I'm sure this is so. He's been on TV many times and has very recently impressed my wife with his intelligence and erudition; she hadn't been a 'fan' of his before but she has changed her opinion.

[BenBoobmers]

Dear Paul,
you could go to this URL http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/38920.html.
Alexander

[mazabotman]

Bishop Mark is Vice-Chairman of the Department for External Church relations and as such is deputy to Metropolitan Kyrill. How things will change in the event that Metropolitan Kyrill becomes patriarch we will have to wait and see.