Sunday, August 5, 2007




On Friday morning the funeral of the Romanian Patriarch was held at the Patriarchy cathedral in Bucharest. The Church of England was invited to send three representatives. The Bishop of Woolwich, the Rt. Revd. Christopher Chessun, represented the Archbishop of Canterbury, and was supported by the Chaplain and Reader from the Church of the Resurrection in Bucharest.

From 9-11am eulogies to the Patriarch were read in the imposing Synod, where the wall behind the visiting Patriarch was dominated by a wonderful fresco. Representatives of churches from all corners of the world presented tributes. At 11am the funeral was held in the cathedral, with many thousands of people who were unable to be inside the cathedral following the service on screens outside.

At the conclusion of the service the Patriarch was buried inside the Cathedral. During the traditional Orthodox forty days of mourning we will burn a candle in the Church of the Resuurection in memory of a true servant of Christ. May his soul rest in peace.

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