Grand celebrations have been held in Moscow from December 1st to 5th for the hundredth anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate of Moscow. The event brought there nearly all of the Patriarchs of the Orthodox world: Theodore II of Alexandria, John X, Patriarch of Antioch, Theophilos III of Jerusalem, the Serbian Patriarch Irinej, the Rumanian one Daniel, as well as the Orthodox Church leaders from Cyprus, Albania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the USA and Canada, and delegations of the Georgian and Bulgarian Churches. “The restoration of the Patriarchate in the Russian Church”, Patriarch John X said on behalf of all the local Orthodox Church leaders, “is a great event, a joy for all of the Orthodox people, for all of the Orthodox Churches. These celebrations are evidence of its charity, unity and peace in the world”. Patriarch Tihon was elected at the Episcopal Synod of 1917-1918 in Moscow as the first Patriarch after 300 years during which the Russian Church had been led by the Synod created by Russian Emperor Peter I. “The Patriarch was elected under the guns of the Russian Revolution – Patriarch Kirill said –, but, if, in the difficult years that came after, the Russian Church had not had a Patriarch, even if with limited power, things could have been much worse”. In addition to solemn liturgies in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Patriarchs were also received by Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the meeting, Kirill listed the priorities for the Russian Church, as worked out by the Episcopal Synod that took place around the time of the celebrations: religious education, social work and youth pastoral service. The Patriarch of Moscow dwelt in particular on the situation in the Middle East, the exile of Christians and the destruction of the churches. Speaking of Syria, the Russian president emphasised the role of the working group between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church in locating and restoring the churches that have been destroyed in the region.