World’s Orthodox Christians Offer Prayers, Condolences

Within hours of the tragic news of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, messages of concern and prayer began to arrive at the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America here.

Archimandrite Nicholas (Iuhos), Dean of the OCA’s Representation Church of Saint Catherine in Moscow, held special memorial services for those who lost their lives in the attacks, as did many other Moscow parishes. His Holiness, Patriarch Aleksy II of Moscow also issued a statement denouncing the attacks and calling for prayers on behalf of the departed and their grieving families.

Memorial services were also celebrated by hierarchs and clergy of many of the fifteen autocephalous Orthodox Churches, including the Church of Georgia, where His Holiness, Patriarch Ilya led prayers for the departed at the Sioni Cathedral in Tblisi on September 14.

Messages have also been received from parishes and clergy the world over. Shortly after the attacks took place, the Very Rev. Heikki Huttunen contacted the OCA Communications Office to express the sorrow felt by the members of Saint Herman of Alaska Church, Espoo, Finland, where Memorial Services were also conducted.