Russian Orthodox Patriarch. He was spiritual leader of the 140 million members of the Russian Orthodox Church and worked to heal the breaks that had occurred during the Soviet Union era. Born Alexi Mikailovich Ridiger, he was raised in Estonia, and was ordained a Deacon and a Priest in 1950. After his graduation from the Leningrad Theological Academy in 1953, his rise in the Church was rapid, and he was consecrated Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia in 1961. From 1986 until his elevation as Patriarch on June 10, 1990, he was Metropolitan of Novgorod. He was the first Patriarch elected without Soviet government pressure, and immediately called for greater religious freedom in the Soviet Union. He supported Mikhail Gorbachev during the failed 1991 coup, and, after the fall of Communism, achieved close ties with Kremlin leaders Boris Yeltsin, Vladimir Putin, and Dimitry Medvedev. During his time in office many destroyed churches were rebuilt, and Orthodox priests began ministry in the Russian military. He denounced anti-Semitism, worked for closer relations with the Catholic Church, and strove to end the schism with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (a Church-in-exile founded in New York City, New York in the 1920). Due to his influence numerous victims of the Soviets were named as martyrs, or canonized as saints, including Czar Nicholas II and his family. A ceremony of reconciliation with Metropolitan Laurus was held in Moscow on May 17, 2007. For his humanitarian work, Aleksy II was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation in 2005.
Russian Orthodox Patriarch. He was spiritual leader of the 140 million members of the Russian Orthodox Church and worked to heal the breaks that had occurred during the Soviet Union era. Born Alexi Mikailovich Ridiger, he was raised in Estonia, and was ordained a Deacon and a Priest in 1950. After his graduation from the Leningrad Theological Academy in 1953, his rise in the Church was rapid, and he was consecrated Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia in 1961. From 1986 until his elevation as Patriarch on June 10, 1990, he was Metropolitan of Novgorod. He was the first Patriarch elected without Soviet government pressure, and immediately called for greater religious freedom in the Soviet Union. He supported Mikhail Gorbachev during the failed 1991 coup, and, after the fall of Communism, achieved close ties with Kremlin leaders Boris Yeltsin, Vladimir Putin, and Dimitry Medvedev. During his time in office many destroyed churches were rebuilt, and Orthodox priests began ministry in the Russian military. He denounced anti-Semitism, worked for closer relations with the Catholic Church, and strove to end the schism with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (a Church-in-exile founded in New York City, New York in the 1920). Due to his influence numerous victims of the Soviets were named as martyrs, or canonized as saints, including Czar Nicholas II and his family. A ceremony of reconciliation with Metropolitan Laurus was held in Moscow on May 17, 2007. For his humanitarian work, Aleksy II was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation in 2005.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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