users of the Internet!

Almost 10 years ago the Russian Orthodox Church joyfully celebrated the millennium of the Baptism of Russia. It was the multiplied joy because our Church had undergone hardest and severe trials and martyrdom of the thousands of her faithful but manifested the triumphant power of the all-victorious Cross to the world. «The gates of hell» had not prevailed against her according to the covenant of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and could not impede her mission to preach «peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh» (Eph.2:17). Peace about which the Apostle spoke cannot be attained through social, political or economic transformations. It cannot be established by a decree or order of even most authoritative leaders. It is inaccessible to the keen mind of a researcher because it has nothing to do with any category of this world. It has been brought to the earth by the Savior, and the eternal Kingdom of Heaven shines through it in the souls of all people.

The Church has not ceased to call by the mouth of her archpastors and pastors to the attainment of this peace which the Orthodox Church has always preserved and which is needed by modern society divided by contradictions and lack of order (cf.2 Cor.5:20). During centuries the Russian Orthodox Church used to be a moral landmark for all generations of Russians and at present she is the only connecting link between historical Rus' with its ideal of sanctity and Russia of the late 20th century.

We are sincerely thankful to all those who try to help the Russian Orthodox Church to bear her witness in this difficult and crucial time. In response to the growing interest to the position of the Church on different aspects of social life, she becomes even more open, remembering the words of the Savior «Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled» (Mt.5:6).

The use of new opportunities of the global computer communications gives another example of this position. Now the news of current events in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church and of various aspects of her ministry could be received undistorted through our official server in the Internet. I hope that it would indeed serve to the good cause of reconciliation and would help understand the ministry of the Church in the world more profoundly.

I invoke God's blessing upon all users of the new information channel.

With love in our Lord Jesus Christ,

ALEXY

PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA