| News Archive | ||
| Navigator: |< 1 >| Records total: 3 | ||
| Number ^v | Date ^v | Title ^v |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | 7 ноября 2003 | METROPOLITAN PITIRIM OF VOLOKOLAMSK AND YURIEV PASSED AWAY IN THE LORD |
| Metropolitan Pitirim of Volokolamsk and Yuriev passed away in the Lord on November 4, 2003, at the age of 78. Metropolitan Pitirim (his secular name is Konstantin Vladimirovich Nechayev) was born on January 8, 1926, at the town of Kozlov (now Michurinsk) to the family of a priest. After finishing school, he entered the Moscow State Institute of Communications. In 1945, he became a senior sub-deacon to His Holiness Patriarch Alexis I. In 1947, he graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary, and in 1951 from the Theological Academy with the degree of Candidate of Theology. He was ordained deacon in 1952 and four years later became priest. In 1959 he took monastic vows with the name of Pitirim in honour of St. Pitirim of Tambov. The same year he was appointed inspector of the Moscow Theological Schools. He taught the History of Western Confessions at the Moscow Theological Seminary and Academy for nearly 30 years and since 1957 he also taught the New Testament. In 1963, he was consecrated Bishop of Volokolamsk, Vicar of the Moscow Diocese. In 1971 he was elevated to the rank of archbishop and in 1986 he was made Metropolitan of Volokolamsk and Yuriev. From 1963 to 1994, His Eminence Pitirim directed the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate and edited the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. For several years he also acted as chairman of the editorial board of Bogoslovskiye Trudy (Theological Works). As head of the publishing center of the Russian Orthodox Church, he managed to form a highly professional editorial and journalistic team, raising the church publishing work to a new level. Metropolitan Pitirim is the author of several books and over 70 theological articles. Under his leadership, several documentaries were shot about the life of the Russian Orthodox Church and Orthodox art. A hierarch who gave much attention to the revival and development of church singing traditions, Metropolitan Pitirim was the initiator of several choirs who not only sang in churches but also gave recitals of Orthodox music at concert halls both in and outside Russia. Metropolitan Pitirim was a person of many gifts and profound church culture. He was well versed in old church life and concerned about the preservation of its traditions, liturgical, pastoral, theological, literary, and the continuity of church practice. The deceased archpastor exerted great efforts for education of new generations of pastors and church workers. In the hard years of prosecution and restriction, His Eminence Pitirim guided many church intellectuals, including young people, who worked at the Publishing department, studied at Theological Schools, practised monasticism or served as priests. Metropolitan Pitirim was actively involved in the external work of the Russian Orthodox Church. He led and participated in many delegations which attended inter-Orthodox, inter-Christian and church-public events abroad. Through his efforts, exhibitions and other cultural and educational actions were arranged to introduce the public in other countries to the life and heritage of the Russian Orthodox Church. He also took an active part in organizing church-public events and programs in Russia. His Eminence was always closely connected with scholarly, cultural and public circles and artistic intelligentsia and was held in high respect and esteem among them. Metropolitan Pitirim was Doctor of Theology, professor, member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, head of the Department of Theology at the Moscow Institute of Transport Engineering, Doctor honoris causa of the Department of Theology of Prague University, professor at the UNESCO Chair of Russia's Golden Heritage. Metropolitan Pitirim was awarded high church and state decorations for his work. Among them the church Orders of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles, St. Sergius of Radonezh, the Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow, the state Order of Friendship of Nations and the Champion of Peace golden medal. For his comprehensive educational and missionary work and on the occasion of his 75th birthday in 2001, he was decorated by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia with the Order of St. Innocent of Moscow. Metropolitan Pitirim of Volokolamsk and Yuriev died in Moscow after a prolonged and serious disease. May the Lord give rest to the soul of the departed Metropolitan Pitirim in the dwellings of the righteous! Eternal memory be to him! | ||
| 25 | 24 октября 2003 | His Holiness Patriarch Alexy Meets the Vice-Mayor of Tallinn Toomas Vitsut |
| On 30 September 2003 His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia met with the vice-mayor of the capital of Estonia Toomas Vitsut in the Tallinn town hall, which is the oldest building in the city and will mark its 600th anniversary next year. T.Vitsut conveyed to His Holiness the greetings from the Mayor of Tallinn Edgar Savisaar, who is in hospital at present. On behalf of the Mayor T.Vitsut thanked the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church for his wishes of soonest recovery expressed during a telephone conversation with E.Savisaar. The vice-mayor of the capital of Estonia greeted His Holiness Patriarch Alexy and said: 'The inhabitants of Tallinn remember that even being far away from your Motherland You have offered up prayers for your fellow-countrymen, for peace and accord in the land of Estonia'. T.Vitsut presented His Holiness with an album with pictures of the Tallinn churches to remember his visit to Tallinn. His Holiness the Patriarch thanked the office of the Mayor for its assistance in the solution of the property problems of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and, in particular, for giving land for the construction of the church in Lasnamjae. His Holiness the Patriarch noted that a lot has been done in Estonia recently for the harmonization of relations between the Church and the State and said: 'We are happy that the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate has been registered and we hope that other problems of the Orthodox people in Estonia will also be solved'. T.Vitsut assured His Holiness that city authorities support an idea of the construction of the church in Lasnamjae and said: 'Spirituality set in there where a church stands, while bitterness and crime recede'. His Holiness regretted that he could not meet Edgar Savisaar, with whom he has maintained good relations. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church gave the vice-mayor of Tallinn an 'Orthodoxy in Tallinn' book, which he has begun to write when a priest, souvenirs and an album issued for the 40th anniversary of his episcopal consecration. That same day His Holiness Patriarch Alexy met with the members of the Estonian Council of Churches. Chairman of the Council, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church E.Soone addressed His Holiness with the words of greeting. | ||
| 24 | 24 октября 2003 | THE PRIMATE OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH COMPLETES HIS VISIT TO ESTONIA |
| On 30 September 2003, the last day of his Primatial visit to Estonia, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia received in his residence the head of the ecclesiastical structure of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Estonia Metropolitan Stephanos at the request of the latter. Taking part in the talk were Metropolitan Kornily of Tallinn and All Estonia; Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, secretary for InterOrthodox relations of the DECR MP and T.Ruutel, managing director of the Association of Real Estate Companies of Estonia and adviser of Metropolitan Stephanos. The participants in the meeting exchanged their views on the situation of Orthodoxy in Estonia and the relations among the believers in the jurisdictions of the Patriarchates of Moscow and Constantinople. They also expressed their opinions on the prospects of the final settlement of the property problems of the parishes of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. The members of the Moscow Patriarchate delegation noted that for the normalization of relations among the Orthodox Christians in Estonia it is necessary first of all to implement the agreements, which have been reached at the meetings of the official delegations of the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow in Zurich (1996) and Berlin (2001). These agreements, which were approved by the Holy Synods of the both Patriarchates, presuppose equal rights of the two Orthodox ecclesiastical jurisdictions in Estonia, including property rights. The execution of the decisions taken by the two Patriarchates will open the way to the development of fraternal canonical relations, including a possibility of liturgical concelebration and cooperation in the field of the Orthodox witness, education, social work and other kinds of diaconical activity. In conclusion of his visit His Holiness Patriarch Alexy answered the questions of the journalists. On leaving Tallinn, His Holiness expressed his heartfelt gratitude for a warm reception rendered to him in his native Estonia and called upon all people in the country, irrespective of their national or confessional belonging, to live in peace and accord with one another. The Primate of the Church underlined that the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate must take an active part in the solution of social problems in Estonia. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church returned to Moscow at 07.00 p.m. | ||