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Act of Canonical Communion signed in Moscow

Moscow, May 17, Interfax— The Act of Canonical Communion between the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia and abroad was signed at Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral on Thursday morning.

The historic document was signed by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and by First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Metropolitan Laurus.

The ceremony is being attended by President Vladimir Putin, several thousands Orthodox believers, including believers who have arrived from abroad, and about 500 journalists.

The Christ the Savior Cathedral is decorated with white flowers — a traditional adornment used on the Ascension holiday to symbolize renewal.

The signing of the Act of Canonical Communion symbolizes the return of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia into the fold of the Moscow Patriarchate and of the whole of the Orthodox world. From now onwards, being part of the Mother Church, parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad will have the right to take communion at all of the world's Orthodox churches, while its clergy gains the right to serve jointly with the hierarchs and clergy of all 15 local Orthodox Churches.

The name of the Russian patriarch will now be mentioned in all services of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad before the name of the first hierarch.

According to the Act of Canonical Communion, the Moscow Patriarchate recognizes the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia as "an indissoluble part of the local Russian Orthodox Church, but independent in pastoral, educational, administrative, managerial, property and civil matters," and remaining "in canonical unity with the Fullness of the Russian Orthodox Church."

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia will as previously be run by its own Council of Bishops - "its supreme ecclesiastical, legislative, administrative, judiciary and controlling authority" convened by her First Hierarch in accordance with the Regulations. "This election is confirmed in accordance with the norms of the canonical law by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church."

Decisions on the establishment or liquidation of dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia will be made in agreement with the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, elected by her Council of Bishops, will be confirmed in accordance with canonical norms by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.

ROCOR head named in Russian Church prayer for first time

Moscow, May 17, Interfax— A worship service in Moscow on Thursday became the first ever occasion in which the name of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) was mentioned as a Moscow Synod member in a communion prayer at a Church run by the Moscow Patriarchate.

The service, held at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, Russia's main Orthodox cathedral, followed a ceremony in which the Moscow-based Russian Orthodox Church and ROCOR signed an agreement that brought them into communion with each other.

The pact, signed at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, makes the ROCOR hierarchy members of the Moscow Synod.

The name of the ROCOR head, Metropolitan Laurus, was mentioned as the bread and wine was being carried to the table where, according to the Orthodox tradition, they would become the body and blood of Christ during a special prayer.

A prayer said during the procession, which is called the Great Entry, normally includes mentioning the names of all clergy taking part in the service.

Eight processions to mark Russian Church unity

Moscow, May 17, Interfax— Orthodox processions are to set out from six Russian cities, Jerusalem, and Mt. Athos on Thursday to celebrate the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Moscow-based Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

The planned processions, which will terminate in Moscow, symbolize the traditional eight points of the Bethlehem Star.

Their purpose is to promote unity among the peoples of Russia, the Vladivostok diocese said on its website.

The processions have the blessing of the head of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II.

They have been organized by the Russian Athos Society and the St. Andrew's Flag foundation.

The cities that are the starting points of the Russian processions are Vladivostok, Barnaul, Yakutsk, Rostov-on-Don, St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Jerusalem and Athos.

The Vladivostok procession will start at the city's Cathedral of St. Nicholas and will pass through the towns of Uglovoye, Razdolnoye, Ussuriisk, Sibirtsevo, Chernigovka, Spassk, Kirovka, Gorniye Klyuchi, Dalnerechensk, and Luchegorsk, which lie in Primorye region and the Vladivostok diocese.

After finishing the Vladivostok diocese part of the route on June 11, the procession will move into the neighboring Khabarovsk diocese.