wfn.org | Presiding Bishop sends letter to Russian Patriarch in wake of tragedy

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Friday, September 10, 2004

Presiding Bishop sends letter to Russian Patriarch in wake of tragedy

ENS 091004-1

[ENS] In response to the devastating terrorist siege at a Russian school 
which ended in the deaths of at least 335 people -- most of them 
schoolchildren -- Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold sent a letter to His 
Holiness Alexey II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, expressing his 
"heartfelt condolences and sympathy for the tragedy." The full text of the 
letter follows:

September 10, 2004

His Holiness Alexey II
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
5 Tchisty Pereulok
119034 Moscow
RUSSIA

Your Holiness,

As Primate of the Episcopal Church in the United States, which has enjoyed 
a long and fruitful relationship in our Lord Jesus Christ with the Church 
in Holy Russia, let me extend my personal and heartfelt condolences and 
sympathy for the tragedy at Beslan. Please know of our prayers for you, for 
the deeply spiritual work of chaplains and Russian Orthodox priests who 
have been called upon to offer pastoral care, and -- most of all -- for the 
families of the killed and wounded, and for the souls of the faithful departed.

The message of our faith in Christ that the Almighty has created us for the 
sake of peace and love, not violence and hatred, can never be more 
important than in the wake of such devastating events. May we offer all 
these prayers to the Holy and Undivided Trinity, Father, Son and Holy 
Spirit, now and to the ages of ages.

Your brother in Christ,

Frank T. Griswold
Presiding Bishop and Primate

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, in an interview with BBC 
Radio 4's John Humphrys September 4, described the acts as "the most evil 
kinds  that we can possibly imagine," adding that they "are to be 
condemned without reservation."

An audio stream of the full interview can be found online at: 
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/interview.