The Patriarch of what is often called "New Rome", i.e. Moscow, so named because of the fall of the "second Rome", i.e. Constantinople in 1453 to the Turks, and the heresy of the "old Rome", i.e. Rome, reposed last night at the age of 79. The first man to hold the Patriarchal throne since the fall of communism in Russia in 1990, Patriarch ALEXY was responsible for a resurgence of the Orthodox Church in Russia, (re) building many churches and monasteries, many of which were destroyed in the purges of the Church, her priests and her property during the eras of Stalin and Kruschev. Though often looked upon as too complacent and agreeable towards Russian government policy and also very opposed to the Roman Pope setting foot in Russian land because of Rome's refusal to stop converting Russians to Latin-Rite Catholicism, Patriarch ALEXY II was very much a man who will be missed by the Russian Orthodox and the Orthodox faithful around the world. A
locum tenens will be appointed within the next few days until a successor will be voted upon by the Holy Synod within the next six months. It will be very intersting to see who comes out of this as Patriarch. Though this will not be as watched as a Roman conclave to elect the Roman Pope, this event could hold significant implications for the Catholics and the Orthodox as the Patriarch of Moscow leads the greatest number of Orthodox faithful in the world (170,000,000 about).
Lord, have mercy on Thy servant, ALEXY, Patriarch of New Rome and All Russia. Grant him a place of repose, a place of verdure, where there is no longer any pain, nor sadness, nor death but life everlasting. +Eternal Memory! Vachaya Patma!
