A protest against the “smear campaign” against the patriarchal locum tenens took place in Moscow

On January 5, representatives of the Orthodox community in Moscow held a prayer service in Chisty Lane. In this way they tried to protest against the “slander campaign” against the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Kirill, reports Interfax .

The reason for the action was calls previously circulated on the Internet for supporters of the former Chukchi Bishop Diomede to gather on that day at the patriarchal residence in Chistoye to express “concern about the ecumenism of Metropolitan Kirill.”

Diomede's supporters did not appear at the patriarchal residence.

“We do not intend to tolerate slander against the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne and will act legally and legally to suppress it,” said Dmitry Pakhomov, head of the Orthodox Anti-Raider Committee, during the action.

The event was attended by representatives of the Orthodox squad from Novatorov Street, the Ignatius (Brianchaninov) sisterhood at the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit at the Lazarevskoye cemetery and other public activists. Those gathered brought with them portraits of Patriarch Alexy II, prayed for his repose and distributed literature refuting attacks on Metropolitan Kirill.

Sources

• A protest rally was held in Moscow against attacks on the patriarchal locum tenens // Interfax-religion. 2009. January 6.