Georgian patriarch holds funeral service for Alexis II

Elias II, head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Catholicos of all Georgia, has headed today the requiem service at the coffin of deceased Alexis II, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow. The service was conducted in the Georgian language.

The IA "News-Georgia" reports that the delegation of the Georgian Orthodox Church left for Moscow on Sunday, December 7, by a special charter flight with the to be present at the funeral ceremony of Alexis II.

At the Domodedovo Airport Elias II was met by Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Cyril, Locum Tenens of the Moscow Patriarchal See.

The Patriarch Catholicos of all Georgia told journalists that he personally had been present at enthronement of Alexis II: "I was present at his blessing, and I was the first who named him Alexis the Second. We're in deep grief about his death; it's a great loss for the whole Orthodox Church."

Zurab Abashidze, former ambassador of Georgia to the Russian Federation, told in his conversation with journalists: "The fact that Metropolitan Cyril came to meet us is a sign of great respect." The statement was broadcast on air of the Georgian TV Company "Imedi".

Earlier, the spiritual and political leaders of the republics of Northern Caucasus had expressed their deep condolences on the occasion of Alexis II's death.

In particular, Chairman of the Moslem Coordination Centre of Northern Caucasus Ismail-Haji Berdiev expressed his deep condolence to all Orthodox believers: "For Moslems of Northern Caucasus, and for the whole world, the death of the Patriarch is a loss of one of closest people. During the last 15 years, thanks to initiatives of the Patriarch the spiritual and moral enlightenment and integrity of the Russian society has become better and stronger."