ST PETERSBURG: January 5, 2013
A Veneration Cross Marking the Fifth Anniversary of the Reestablishment of Unity Within the Russian Orthodox Church is Consecrated in St Alexander Nevsky Lavra

A public cross marking the fifth anniversary of the reunification of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was unveiled on January 3, 2013, in St Petersburg, Russia. The ceremony was held in St Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the cross erected in the Metropolitan’s Garden at the monastery entrance.

After Divine Liturgy, a procession of the cross headed by His Grace Bishop Nazary of Vyborg and His Grace Bishop Mstislav of Lodeynopol left Holy Trinity Cathedral along the Monastyrka River to the site where the cross was erected. Here it was consecrated together with representatives of the Russian Church Abroad.

His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany headed the ROCOR delegation. He noted the importance of memorializing the event: “In the history of the Church there have been, are now and will be many divisions. Often they arise due to matters of faith, but the division within the Russian Church was purely administrative. The Lord has deigned for us to find a way towards communion, spiritually preserved unity. We yearned for unity, tried to achieve it, and faith has led us to this goal. Once again we stand before the Divine Throne and with one mouth praise the Lord.”

Then, on behalf of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, Vladyka Mark thanked everyone who participated in the erection of this monument.

The Act of Canonical Communion between the two Churches was signed in Moscow on May 17, 2007, by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, Primate of ROCOR. Georgy Poltavchenko, then Plenipotentiary of the President of Russia in the Central Federal Region, was present at the signing of the Act. Now, five years later, as the Governor of St Petersrburg, he was present at the unveiling of the monument.

“The signing of the Act of Canonical Communion was a great event not only in Church but in national history. It provided enormous joy to Orthodox believers in Russia and abroad. Overcoming the tragic events in our history, we took the important step of strengthening national unity,” noted Mr Poltavchenko.

He noted that it is now crucial for “fruitful cooperation everywhere between church and civil authorities in the name of strengthening spiritual traditions and the triumph of moral values in all spheres of social life.”
The creator of the memorial cross, Evelina Solovieva, was awarded the Silver Medal of Apostle Peter, given to her by Bishop Nazary. Vladyka noted the great contribution of this sculptor in the monumental art of St Petersburg. She created the memorial Epistle Through the Ages (“The Open Book”) on Universitetskaya Embankment, and monuments to the 2000th anniversary of the Birth of Christ and those who suffered for the faith in St Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Voda zhizni