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Russia bids farewell to patriarch Russia bids farewell to patriarch
(about 2 hours later)
The funeral of the late head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexiy II, is taking place in Moscow's giant new Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Russia has bid farewell to the head of Russian Orthodox Church, Alexiy II, at a grand funeral ceremony in Moscow.
Russian media are broadcasting the service live and have cancelled entertainment programmes at the request of President Dmitry Medvedev. Senior Orthodox leaders from around the world and top Russian government officials attended the service at the giant Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
Alexiy II, who had led the Church since the last days of the Soviet Union, died last Friday at the age of 79. A hearse then carried Alexiy II's coffin towards the city's Epiphany Cathedral for burial.
He had presided over a revival of the Church's influence in Russian society. Alexiy II, who had presided over a revival of the Church's influence in Russia, died last week aged 79.
After the service, the late patriarch's body will be taken for burial to the Cathedral of the Epiphany, in the east of the Russian capital. He had led the Church since 1990 - the last days of the Soviet Union.
Huge respectHuge respect
It is on display in an open coffin surrounded by flowers and flickering candles in the church near the Kremlin, his face and body covered by a white-and-gold embroidered cloth. The patriarch's body was on display in an open coffin surrounded by flowers and flickering candles at the Cathdral of Christ the Saviour, near the Kremlin.
Double life of patriarchRussia pays tribute to patriarchDouble life of patriarchRussia pays tribute to patriarch
Senior clergy from across the Orthodox Christian world - along with representatives of Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other churches - attended the ceremony which lasted more than five hours.
The ceremony was led by a high-profile bishop, Kirill, who has been elected the Church's temporary leader, and paid fulsome tribute to Alexiy.
"He inherited a church that was weakened by decades of repression.... Now he is leaving behind a church that is strong," he said.
Russia's political leaders were prominent among the mourners. Both President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin approached the coffin to pay their final respects.
The deep, sonorous chants of the traditional Divine Liturgy rang out through the cathedral before the standing congregration of black-clad mourners and black-hooded Orthodox nuns.The deep, sonorous chants of the traditional Divine Liturgy rang out through the cathedral before the standing congregration of black-clad mourners and black-hooded Orthodox nuns.
Top representatives of the Jerusalem Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, Montenegrin, Bulgarian, Cypriot, Polish and American Orthodox Churches attended the service while the Roman Catholic church sent senior envoys. Some 80,000 mourners visited the coffin inside the cathedral
Politicians attending the funeral were expected to include President Medvedev and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and the presidents of Serbia, Belarus, Armenia and Moldova, as well as Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych. Russian media broadcast the funeral ceremony live and cancelled entertainment programmes at the request of President Medvedev.
Traffic jams are reported across the city centre where some streets were closed off in connection with the funeral, and the city authorities have called on workers to take the metro to work instead. Traffic jams were reported across the city centre, where some streets were closed off in connection with the funeral, and the city authorities called on workers to take the metro to work instead.
Moscow police say 80,000 people filed past Alexiy II's open coffin between Saturday evening and Tuesday morning.Moscow police say 80,000 people filed past Alexiy II's open coffin between Saturday evening and Tuesday morning.
The numbers speak of the huge respect and authority which he commanded, the BBC's James Rodgers reports from Moscow.The numbers speak of the huge respect and authority which he commanded, the BBC's James Rodgers reports from Moscow.
Clergy from across the Orthodox Christian world have travelled to Moscow for the ceremony, which Russia's political leaders are also attending.
The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is a striking symbol of the Russian Church's resurgence under Alexiy II's leadership, our correspondent notes.The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is a striking symbol of the Russian Church's resurgence under Alexiy II's leadership, our correspondent notes.
It was blown up by the atheist Soviet authorities in the 1930s, then rebuilt in the 1990s after the collapse of Communism.It was blown up by the atheist Soviet authorities in the 1930s, then rebuilt in the 1990s after the collapse of Communism.
Acting head
/>Did you attend the service? What affect will the death of Alexiy II have on the Russian Orthodox Church?
The Russian Orthodox Church's top body elected a high-profile bishop, Kirill, as its temporary leader at the weekend.
Some 80,000 mourners visited the coffin inside the cathedral
Kirill, whose official title is Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, is familiar to Russian viewers for his long-running daily broadcast on the main TV channel ORT, The Pastor's Word.
He is also head of the Church's external relations department, recently visiting Cuba to consecrate a cathedral in Havana.
Respected for his erudition, he is viewed by some as a reformer but has expressed deeply conservative views in public.
Another cleric tipped as Alexiy's successor when the Church makes its final choice within six months is Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, head of the Church headquarters' administration.
Will you be attending the service? What affect will the death of Alexiy II have on the Russian Orthodox Church?
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