Alexy II sends letter of support to head of Russian Church abroad

The following article was posted by the Russian news service Interfax. As we approach the month of May, this could be one of the most important moments in recent history for Orthodoxy. The forthcoming All Diaspora Council to be held in San Francisco could effectively put the final stamp of approval on efforts to restore full communion between the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the mother church. The broader implication is that it might also restore full communion between ROCOR and the rest of the canonical Orthodox world. Let us pray. Lord have mercy!

Moscow, April 23, Interfax - Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia has sent a letter to First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) Metropolitan Laurus, in which he supported his efforts toward the reunification of the two churches, Alexy said in an interview published in the Saturday issue of the Trud newspaper.

ROCOR's All-Diaspora Council is expected to make the final decision on whether to unify with the Moscow Patriarchate in May 2006. "However, there are forces to which this convergence is unacceptable," Alexy said.

He said pressure on the participants in the upcoming Council convention "is being applied from both the inside and outside."

"All evil forces are standing up against this," the patriarch said. "However, we still hope that reason will dominate. There are no factors dividing the Russian church abroad and the Moscow Patriarchate," he said.

The current period in relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the ROCOR is most suitable for their reunification, he said.

"The more time passes, the less the Russian Church abroad will remain Russian. Therefore, this might perhaps be the last chance to unify two branches of the Russian people in one church," he said.

The Russian Orthodox Church is open to reunification and is praying "for those who will gather for the All-Diaspora Council on these paschal days to discuss this crucial issue," Alexy said.

"God willing they will have enough wisdom to hear Christ the Savior's prayer 'that they may all be one'," Alexy said.