HONG KONG, December 6 – RIA News, Kira Pozdnyaeva. Memorial Services in remembrance of His Holiness Alexy, Patriarch of Moscow and all of Russia, who reposed on December 5, will be performed in the Orthodox parishes of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, as it is reported by the correspondent of RIA News.
His Holiness, Patriarch Alexy, will forever stay in the hearts of the Russian and Chinese Orthodox believers. Among his responsibilities and concerns was also the state of the Orthodox Church in China. “He witnessed the Church’s practical obliteration during the years of the ‘Cultural Revolution’, and had also seen the first reopening of Orthodox churches in China in the 80’s”, – has stated for RIA News Archpriest Dionisy Pozdnyaev, the rector of Sts Peter and Paul Parish in Hong Kong.
“Being already a Patriarch, he took on himself the archpastoral care for the Orthodox parishes in China till the normalization of the status of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church. Among the letters of condolences sent by the Orthodox faithful of China now there are also traditional verses which according to the custom are written in honor of eminent personages”, - said the interlocutor to our Agency.
On the territory of China, there are four Chinese-speaking and five Russian-speaking Orthodox parishes. Several thousands Orthodox believers live in the country.