The Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church opened at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow this morning and elected Metropolit Kirill as the 17th Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Russian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Filaret, Metropolitan of Minsk and Sluzk, Exarch of Patriarch for all Byelorussia has withdrawn his candidacy for the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, declaring his support for Metropolitan Kirill, the Moscow Patriarchy said Tuesday.

People without Russian Federation passports will form a majority of those who will take part in the election two weeks from now of the next patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, just one of the remarkable changes from the past with which the Moscow Patriarchate, the Kremlin, and the Russian people are now having to come to terms.

The acting leader of the Russian Orthodox Church gave a tribute to the late Patriarch Alexy II on Tuesday at a funeral service in Moscow, praising his achievements in reviving the Church since communism.

Thousands of people have been paying final farewells to Patriarch Alexy II, lying in state in a central Moscow cathedral, in tribute to his role in reviving Russian Orthodox Christianity after decades of the atheist Soviet rule.

Russian Orthodox bishops pick their man to lead the church - at least for now. Their choice is Kirill, who is a potentially divisive figure and a believer in greater independence from the state.

Pope Benedict XVI has offered condolences following the death of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II.

A landmark in the history of Eastern Christendom is timed to the Ascension, which falls on May 17 this year. The Russian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia are signing an Act of Canonical Communion.