Heads of Alexandrian, Georgian, Bulgarian and Polish Orthodox Churches arriving in Moscow

Representatives of 15 Local Orthodox Churches will gather in Moscow on Tuesday on the eve of the celebrations of the 1025th anniversary of adoption of Christianity in Russia. Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, secretary for inter-Orthodox relations of the External Relations department of the Russian Orthodox Church, told Itar-Tass that four delegations would be headed by their primates: Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria, Georgian Patriarch Iliya II, Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland Sava. Representatives of the Constantinople, Greek and Albanian Orthodox Churches as well as the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia will also arrive in Moscow for the celebrations. Delegations of other Local Orthodox Churches (the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, the Antiochian Orthodox Chruch, the Cyprus, Romanian and Serbian Orthodox Churches and the Orthodox Church in America) have already arrived in Moscow. They are led by their primates: Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, Serbian Patriarch Irinej, Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos and Metropolitan Tikhon for all-America and Canada. Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill on Monday met Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, Archbishop of Cyrpus Chrysostomos, Catholicos of All Georgia Iliya II and Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria in his residence at the St. Daniel Monastery. The heads of all Local Orthodox Churches will gather for a common prayer for the future of Orthodox Christianity at the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior on July 24, a day of commemoration for Princess Olga equal to the Apostles. That prayer will open the festivities devoted to the jubilee anniversary of adoption of Christianity in Russia. Patriarch Kirill will meet the heads of other delegations on July 25. In the evening, the hierarchs will attend an outdoor concert on Red Square. The large-scale extravaganza will be devoted to the history of adoption of Christianity in Russia and modern Christian culture of various countries. Common prayers will be held in Kiev on July 27-28 and in Minsk on July 29. A special train that will leave Moscow on July 26 will take the hierarchs to Ukraine and Belarus. One of the most revered Christian relics - the Cross on which Apostle Andrei the First Called was crucified will travel in a special carriage together with the hierarchs. The Cross left the Greek town of Patra for the first time. It arrived in St. Petersburg on July 11. Over 300,000 people have bowed to the relic since then. Orthodox Christians will be able to pay their respect to the Cross in Kiev on July 26-28 and in Minsk from July 29 to August 2.