A contemporary Russian Easter egg object d’arte from Sofrino
Moscow, 28 April 2008 (Interfax):
In the recent past, Patriarch Aleksei II of Moscow and all Russia says that he noticed a significant increase in the number of sincere believers in Russia. “We see a miracle of our Lord. The Faith of Christ revives amongst the ruins of ravaged churches and monasteries. However, the most important thing is that millions of people have returned to Faith in Christ”, the patriarch said after the vespers service in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on Sunday evening. This service completed the cycle of services on the first day of the Paschal season.
He drew a parallel between Russian history and the behaviour of the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the time of Christ. When He entered the city prior to his crucifixion, they met Him with honour and joy, yet, several days later, they shouted, “Crucify him, crucify him!” “Something similar occurred amongst our people. Over the course of a millennium, they loved God, they built churches, and they enriched their lives with prayer and faith. However, there came a time when they became strugglers against God, they destroyed churches and monasteries, and the authorities issued the decree that the name of God would not be spoken in the Soviet Union”, His Holiness said. However, in the opinion of the patriarch, during the Lent just past, many people “approached this special time of repentance and preparation for the bright feast of Christ’s resurrection consciously”. So, on Easter, the churches were full, which was “a miracle of the mercy of God”, he added.
Interfax-Religion
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=24207 (in Russian)
