His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia passed away in the Lord

Today on December 5, 2008, early in the morning Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia passed away in the Lord at the Patriarchate residence in Peredelkin outside Moscow.

Patriarch was born as Aleksey Mihajlovich Ridiger in Tallinn,Estonia on February 23, 1929 into the family of Russian emigrants , and he is a descendant of German Baltic noble family ofvon Ridiger which adopted Orthodoxy in 18th century.

He graduated from Leningrad Theological Seminary and later from Theological Academy in SanktPetersburg. In 1950 Metropolitan Gregory (Chukov) of Leningrad ordained him asa deacon and then as a priest. On March 3, 1961 he was tonsureda monk in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius and the same year he was chosen to be the Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia. In 1986 he became Metropolitan of Novgorod and Leningrad. Alexy became new Moscow Patriarch in 1990 after the death of Patriarch Pimen.

During the leadership of Patriarch Alexy II of blessed repose a religious education was reintroduced in the Russian education, many new martyrs and confessors were glorified, the raskol (schism) of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad which lasted for many decades is ended.