Moscow, October 6, Interfax - Church of the Repose of Holy Virgin at the Russian Embassy in Beijing will be consecrated in mid-October.
"The church has been restored and is ready for consecration and will be consecrated on the eve of the Pokrov Feast (The Protection of Our Most Holy Lady), secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate on foreign institutions Bishop Mark of Yegoryevsk said in an interview to the Voice of Russia radio station.
Bishop Mark recalled that the Church of the Repose of Holy Virgin had been built in late 19th century for the staff of the Russian Spiritual Mission in China and the Russian Consulate. In the 20th century, its territory rented by the USSR Embassy was occupied by garages and workshops and indoor parking premises adjacent to the church. Now the church has been vacated.
Bishop Mark also noted that the parishioners will include employees of Russian institutions in China - the embassy, trade representative offices, local branches of Russian companies, Russians living in Beijing, as well as members of other Orthodox communities from Ukraine, Byelorussia, Moldavia and Greece.
"The Russian Orthodox Church has no opportunity to directly serve Chinese citizens because it is not in compliance with Chinese laws. Therefore, China has a Chinese Orthodox autonomous church which is a part of the Moscow Patriarchate, but nevertheless, it is autonomous," Bishop Mark said.