Conference of European Churches - Office of Communications

Press release No. 08-68/e

Geneva, 5 December 2008

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia passed away today at the age of 79. Head of the Russian Orthodox Church since 1990, he was directly involved in the work of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) for almost three decades, in particular taking the role of President from 1987 to 1992.

In 1964 the then Metropolitan Alexy was elected a CEC president (member of the Presidium) and was re-elected several times at the CEC assemblies. From 1971 he was the vice-president of the CEC Presidium and Advisory Committee, and on 26 March 1987 he was elected chairman of these committees. Metropolitan Alexy was the keynote speaker on the theme “In the Power of the Holy Spirit - to Serve the World” at the 8th CEC General Assembly in Crete, 1979. From 1972 he was a member of the Joint Committee of CEC and the (Roman Catholic) Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE). From 15-21 May 1989 in Basel, Switzerland, Metropolitan Alexy co-chaired the First European Ecumenical Assembly on “Peace with Justice”, organized by CEC and CCEE. In September 1992 at the 10th CEC Assembly in Prague Patriarch Alexy’s term as CEC chairman came to an end. His Holiness presented a report at the Second European Ecumenical Assembly in Graz, Austria, in 1997.

The Venerable Colin Williams, General Secretary of CEC, commented on the death of the Patriarch saying: “It was always evident to me that His Holiness gave great value to the work of CEC. We remain very grateful, as we approach our 50th anniversary, for the important role which Patriarch Alexy played in building up CEC as an effective ecumenical instrument, both in his years of CEC presidency and as the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church”.

“Patriarch Alexy accompanied the life of CEC through all these decades”, stated the CEC President, Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont. He recalled his recent visit to Moscow, accompanied by the General Secretary: “We were together in Moscow to hear His Holiness express, once again, his attachment to the bridge-building work of the Conference of European Churches”.

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The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 120 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 associated organisations. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg.

For more information:
Luca Negro
Phone +41 22 791 64 85 or 791 63 25
Fax +41 22 791 62 27
e-mail: Luca.Negro@cec-kek.org
Web-site: www.cec-kek.org