10,000 people visit the Cathedral of Christ the Savior daily - Alexy II

04 June 2008, 16:08

Moscow, June 4, Interfax - Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia cites the statistics of visits to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviors to prove the church life has revived in Russia.

"Ten thousand people come to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior every day to look at the restored church," Alexy II said at his meeting with Colombia's Vice President Francisco Santos Calderon on Wednesday in St. Daniel's Monastery in Moscow, Interfax-Religion has reported.

According to the patriarch, life of the Russian Orthodox Church has radically changed for the recent 15 years. The Church participates in dialogue with state and society, actively develops social charitable work, education and missionary activities.

"The Church in Russia is separated from the state, but not from the society. There are a lot of common tasks we have to address together (with authorities - IF), including questions of moral recovery of society," Alexy II noted.

He also reminded the Colombian vice-president that the Russian Orthodox Church had many parishes in the Latin America.

"I think that though separated by long distance our peoples have to know each other," the patriarch said.

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