Belarus is in anticipation of bringing the Cross of Saint Andrew the First-Called
With the blessing of the Patriarch Kirill and Archbishop of Athens and Hellas Jerome Foundation of Saint Andrew the First-Called from July 11 to August 2, will organize the bringing of the Cross of St. Andrew within the Russian Orthodox Church (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus).
The Apostle Andrew is one of the first disciples of Jesus Christ, and brother of the Apostle Peter (Simon), the closest disciple of John the Baptist.
The first church in honor of St. Andrew in Russia was built in Kiev in 1086 by the works of the great Prince Vsevolod Yaroslavovich, son of Yaroslav the Wise. And the majestic cathedral of his name is in the Greek city of Patras, where the crucifix of the saint was made. The cross on which the apostle was crucified, is kept in the Orthodox cathedral city of Patras in Greece, the Peloponnes and is a great shrine of the Christian world.
According to legend, the apostle Andrew was martyred on the cross X-shaped, because he considered himself unworthy to be crucified like Christ. Since then, the «oblique cross» is called St. Andrew.
We know from history that during the reign of Peter the Russian fleet made its banner of St. Andrew`s flag: white flag, crossed diagonally by two blue stripes, which forming oblique cross. Since then, the flag of St. Andrew is the main naval ensign of the Russian Navy.
Inmates in the X-shaped ark preserved fragments of the olive cross, in which, according to tradition, the apostle Andrew was crucified, arrived in St. Petersburg from Greece on the special plane of Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. Hereinafter the special train will be used for the transportation of the shrine.
From the 11th to 15th of July the cross was in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, and the morning of July 16 it arrived to Moscow.
July 26 the capital Ukraine shall adopt the shrine.
At night of the same day the delegation of Hellas Orthodox Church will deliver Cross of St. Andrew in Minsk, in the church of St. Andrew (Malinin street, 19), where it will remain until the morning. July 29 cross be brought to the Minsk Site of ancient castle is the place of the ancient Church of the Nativity of the Virgin.
One of the major shrines of Christendom will stay in Minsk on August 2. A further place her stay will be the Temple-monument in honor of all the saints, and in memory of innocent victims in our Fatherland. Access to the Cross of St. Andrew will be around the clock.
