Associated Press
Jan 6 2005
Orthodox set to celebrate Christmas
MIKE ECKEL
MOSCOW – The head of Russia’s Orthodox Church offered blessings and
prayers on the eve of the Orthodox Christmas Thursday, noting in his
traditional holiday greetings that 2004 was a difficult year for
Russia
Patriarch Alexy II also addressed Christians worldwide and people of
other faiths, saying “Let us work together for the sake of peace and
the prosperity of our peoples.”
Christmas falls on Jan. 7 for Orthodox Christians in Russia and other
Eastern Orthodox churches that use the Julian calendar instead of the
16th-century Gregorian calendar adopted by Catholics and Protestants
and commonly used in secular life around the world.
The top U.N. official in Kosovo, Soren Jessen-Petersen, called upon
Serbs, who are largely Orthodox Christian, to use this period to
“make special efforts to reach out to all, regardless of their views
and backgrounds.”
Kosovo was placed under U.N. administration in 1999, following NATO’s
air war aimed at stopping the Serb forces crackdown on
independence-seeking ethnic Albanians.
In the former Soviet republic of Armenia, worshippers lit candles and
attended services to mark the holiday and President Robert Kocharian
and other top government officials attended services at the
Echmiadzin Cathedral outside the capital, Yerevan.
Pope John Paul II also offered his “cordial wish of peace and joy in
the Lord” to “the brothers and sisters of the Eastern Churches which
are celebrating in these days Holy Christmas.” Jan. 7 is celebrated
in the Catholic church as Epiphany.
The Russian patriarch referred in his greetings to the string of
terrorist attacks that struck Russia including the August crash of
two airliners, and the September hostage-taking at the school in
Beslan where some 340 people died, nearly half of them children.
“Flouting everything that is holy in their impious madness,
terrorists raised their hands against children. The deaths of
innocent victims has become our common grief and filled our hearts
with pain and sorrow,” he said.
“But at the same time, the horrible tragedy has shown that moral
ideals are alive in the people: facing death, many people manifested
high examples of sacrificial love for their neighbors, laying down
their lives for their friends, as the Holy Scripture says,” the
patriarch said.
The patriarch also met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the
Kremlin. Putin spoke at length about the humanitarian aid and the
rescue efforts Russia has provided to Asian countries devastated by
the Dec. 26 tsunami.
“I want to again wish you a Merry Christmas, happiness and health to
you and all the Orthodox Christians, to all the people who will be
observing this holy holiday,” Putin told the patriarch.