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Dmitri Medvedev, the Russian President, today attended the midnight service in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour cathedral to celebrate Christmas in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The service was presided over by Metropolitan Cyril, the interim leader of the Russian Orthodox Churchsince the death of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II in December. Head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church HH Stefan conducted the main liturgy at Skopje Church St. Kliment Ohridski, Macedonian news agency Mina said.

Metropolitan Kirill Celebrates Russian Orthodox Christmas

According to the Julian calendar, Christmas fell today, January 7th 2009 and Orthodox Christians in Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, Georgia, Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, and the Ukraine celebrated with a strict fast, holy supper, Grand Liturgy and by burning dried oak branches (Russia).

In Egypt, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, held a somber mass led by Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria Tuesday at the Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo. Pope Shenouda expressed solidarity with the people of Gaza; “Our Mother Mary was Palestinian, and so was Jesus and his disciples. We pray for our brothers and sisters of all faiths in Palestine and particularly in Gaza,” he said in a televised address.

Pope Benedict XVI sent his greetings to the Eastern Churches who, “following the Julian calendar will celebrate Holy Christmas tomorrow. May the memory of the birth of the Saviour rekindle in their hearts more and more the joy of being loved by God.”