Pentecost in Russia: An Addendum to Pentecost Variations

Yesterday, we discussed the Slavic traditions surrounding Pentecost, of which Russia would be included, and Carlos Antonio Palad noted the following beautiful photos from the Moscow Patriarchate, which show Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, as well a Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, celebrating the Divine Liturgy of Pentecost at the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius this past Sunday.

I wanted to share a few of these with you as an addendum to yesterdays piece on Pentecost variations.

Image source: http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/1164328.html. Photos by S. Vlasov, K. Novotarsky.

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While we are on the topic of Russia, there has been much in the Catholic press of recent about relations between Rome and Moscow -- no doubt accentuated by the recent Russian events in Rome. Today, Sandro Magister offers a piece, A Holy Alliance between Rome and Moscow Is Born wherein he notes that "[t]he positive relationship that has been established between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church of Rome is one of the most stunning achievements of Benedict XVI's pontificate. It is also stunning for its rapidity."