Pope Benedict XVI Blog

Vatican City, Dec 5, 2008 / 11:03 am (CNA).- The Russian Orthodox Church is in mourning today as it copes with the loss of Patriarch Alexy II, who passed away early Friday morning at his residence in Moscow. Pope Benedict has expressed his grief at hearing the news, saying he was “profoundly saddened” to hear of his passing.

The official cause of the 79 year-old Patriarch’s death has not been announced, but he has been suffering from a heart condition for some time.

Upon learning of the death of the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Pope Benedict XVI said that he was “profoundly saddened to receive news of the death of His Holiness Alexy II” and that he wished to convey to all the members of the Russian Orthodox Church “my most sincere condolences, assuring you of my spiritual closeness at this very sad time.”

Alexy II’s tenure as patriarch saw him lead a revival of the Orthodox Church in Russia and abroad. The crowning achievement of this revival was the 2007 reunification of the Church in Russia with splinter Churches that were established overseas during the 1917 Bolshevik revolution.