World Russian-speaking Orthodox diaspora includes over 30 million believers

25 June 2008, 15:09

Moscow, June 25, Interfax - Russian-speaking diaspora in the world, including Ukrainians and Moldavians, exceeds 30 million people. Head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad cited such data in his report at the Bishop's Council.

"The majority of them are the flock of the Russian Orthodox Church and we have to give them appropriate pastoral care," Metropolitan Kirill was quoted as saying by the Russian Church official web site.

According to him, 8 bishops and 354 clerics provide pastoral care for 316 parishes and 16 monasteries of the Moscow Patriarchate in 51 countries. Eighty-nine Sunday schools are opened in the diaspora. The metropolitan noted that this statistics did not include the Russian Church Abroad.

Countries of the diaspora have established 24 new parishes for the recent four years, not including certain Orthodox communities, regularly visited by the Russian Church clerics.

Orthodox churches in Rome, Havana, Tokyo, Ulan-Bator, in Russia's Embassy in Beijing and Istanbul are under construction. Construction of All Russian Saints Church in the Jerusalem Gornensky convent and in the Russia's Embassy in Bolivia is completed. A hospital building of St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos is reconstructed.

The Russian Church received in property church buildings and complexes in Kiel (Germany), Hobro (Denmark), Ulm (Germany), a big monastery complex in Amsterdam, two church buildings in Sardinia. A building to house diocesan pilgrimage center in Rome was acquired. The building complex of the Russian Church representation in Bari (Italy) was transferred to Russia and it became an important event, Metropolitan Kirill noted.

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