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    Russians flock to see Virgin Mary relic

    MOSCOW (AP) — Braving freezing cold temperatures and ice-covered sidewalks, tens of thousands of Russians stood in line Wednesday to see and kiss a newly arrived relic of the Virgin Mary in Russia's largest Orthodox cathedral.

    The Virgin Mary's Cincture, a belt that Christians believe was worn by Jesus' mother, was brought to Russia last month from Mount Athos, a monastic community in Greece.

    Kissing the relic, which is encased in an ornamental box, is believed to help barren women conceive and heal other ailments.

    The line of people, mostly women, waiting to enter the golden-domed Christ the Savior Cathedral stretched for 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) along the Moscow River despite temperatures that dropped to below minus 5 Celsius (23 Fahrenheit).

    Police officers announced through bullhorns that it will take worshippers 24 hours to get to the relic as the line swelled to tens of thousands.

    Hundreds of buses brought pilgrims from other Russian cities. Some 150 buses were parked along the embankment with their engines running so the faithful could get warm as they waited. The city provided free tea and food and put up portable toilets.

    Some 1,500 police officers were deployed to prevent people from cutting in line.

    Traffic in central Moscow has been snarled since the relic first went on display Saturday. By Wednesday afternoon, as many as 300,000 people had seen the relic, which will remain on display through Sunday.

    The St. Andrew's Foundation, which brought the relic to Russia, said it was viewed by 2 million people in 14 other cities before arriving in Moscow.

    The Russian Orthodox Church withered under eight decades of Soviet rule, but has enjoyed a resurgence over the past two decades. Russians adopted Christianity in 989 from Byzantine Greeks, and the Russian Orthodox Church has maintained close ties with Greek clergy and monasteries.

     
    • Lewis  •  Fort Worth, United States  •  6 mths ago
      I got news for you folks, the article is about Russian Orthodox faithful, not Catholics.
      • pd 6 mths ago
        You have to understand, the typical Yahoo! poster is retarded and would be better off keeping their mouth shut.
      • Dave m 6 mths ago
        Ive got news for you. Catholics are worse concerning relics than any Orthodox churches. Where do you think they got the idea? They used to be in the catholic church.
      • Caruzer77 6 mths ago
        All religions started from the Catholic Church from what history states. So no matter your religion most of the things done during services are taken from the Catholic Mass.
    • Nikola  •  6 mths ago
      It is good to see how our brothers have kept their faith.
      Greetings from Serbia!
    • Lou M  •  6 mths ago
      I'm not religious at all, but I don't knock it down. There's nothing wrong with what they are doing. Live and let live, as long as you don't impose your views on others it's kool!
      • R 6 mths ago
        it is still imposed under capitalism that uses gangster religion god madness upon the rest of the population.don't you know the history of gangster religion ? did any of our ancestors had any choice or was there any referendum where gangster god religion christianity was approved by consent ? it was imposed and kept that way until today in 2011, and as such history will not be forgotten by people who know yesterday from today.the trouble is people like you who are spaced out and accept everything the day they are born as true value face.
      • Now hear this 6 mths ago
        Addtressing R. First and foremost. You start your sentences with the first word, the first letter to be a capitol. Second. What in the Sam Hill is gangster relgion? That is a new one on me. Third, these people are excercising their new constutional right of worship, which is basicly about 20 years old. And these people are older than that, when they lived under another gangster bunch called the communist party which is very prevailant in the United States today.

        Once again. Russia welcomes god in their public schools, and America kicked him out. So R, please let the Russian Nationals have their worship rights, knowing for the past 75 years up to 12/31/91, they were denied, and persacuted for. Incidently the Soviet Union under the terror of your hero Nika Kruscheve had a hate campain, against the christians.
      • aok 6 mths ago
        I think Cheersman is the type Lou M. Is talking about. Welcoming God is just code for forcing your religion on others.
    • Inquirer  •  Encino, United States  •  6 mths ago
      It is good to know that they have religious freedom in Russia !
    • Angelo  •  6 mths ago
      It is very unusual to have any item from Jesus, Mary, or Joseph. and is why the number of faithful is so large to kiss and see the relic. I am reminded of a scripture verse in the New Testament, of a woman, who had medical issues, who said, "If only I can touch the hem of his garment......" and the woman would have been Jewish. These people are firm in their faith. God bless them.
      • ukulelemike 6 mths ago
        Except their faith is to be in Jesus Christ alone-not Mary, not an apostle, not a relic, Jesus. Sola Jesu: Jesus Alone.
    • QRSW  •  Dallas, United States  •  6 mths ago
      For goodness sakes, change the caption on the slideshow of photographs! Orthodox Christians do NOT worship relics (or icons, or saints). We VENERATE them. There are precise differences among religious terms, and these important differences matter. If the reporter does not have the knowledge of his subject to present it accurately, replace him or her with someone who does. Other than that, I was very pleased to see this article online.
      • Dave m 6 mths ago
        Dummy venerate is semantics. Its worship. When you stand in line for hours to see it. When you kiss it. When you pray to it. IT IS WORSHIP.
      • Nikola 6 mths ago
        If you are not teologian or at least Orthodox Dave you can't really tell the difference but we can.
      • AdamM 6 mths ago
        commandment number 2
    • UncleGravy  •  6 mths ago
      The hatred on this messageboard is amazing to me.
    • BotsakisG  •  Makati City, Philippines  •  6 mths ago
      I thought Communists were atheists??.
      • Angelo 6 mths ago
        "Communists" were the Apostles and their followers and is in the book of Acts. The concept of living in a Commune, and everyone shared what they had with each other, so there was none doing without. The Book of Acts is how Karl Marx decieved the people, by first quoting scripture, but then making changes to suit himself
      • Anne H 6 mths ago
        the Esscenes who copied the Scrolls lived in communes; the wrod commune is where we get the word "community..."
    • Michael  •  Indianapolis, United States  •  6 mths ago
      Lewis from Fort Worth should re-read the history of the Church that Jesus started, especially the part of the schism in 1062. Did the Orthodoxs separate from the Catholics or vice-versa. Read your history. Much Love in Christ from a 63y.o. Cradle Catholic.++++++
    • Anne H  •  6 mths ago
      for all of those who do not beleive Jesus was a "real person...let me ask you this...If Jesus was not a real person then who was it who said these words...Do unto others as you would have them to you...if Jesus is not real then who wrote the Sermon on the mount ? if Jesus did not say: I am the way the Life and the truth; then who did ? ? ! somebody said and wrote those words ! ! !
    • Anne H  •  6 mths ago
      Angelo wrote: I am reminded of a scripture verse in the New Testament, of a woman, who had medical issues, who said, "If only I can touch the hem of his garment......"

      Anne's comment; this is exactly the reason why the peoples want to pay homage to Mary's camelhair belt; becaue they believe that Jesus and Mary and the Twelve Apsotles could "heal people supernaturally...such as when the woman touched the hem of Jesus she was healed of her infirmity; this is the meaning of FAITH
    • ukulelemike  •  Susanville, United States  •  6 mths ago
      So, Mary wore a belt? To keep her pants up? And just how do they figure that this was Mary's belt? Did it have a big, shiny buckle that said, "Mary, Mother of God" on it? If someone brings in an old eggplant and declares it to have been Peter's eggplant, I bet millions would flock to kiss the holy eggplant. The stupid things people do in the name of a God they don't even know. Very sad.
    • Anne H  •  6 mths ago
      Larry wrote: It must be a living Hell being you and seeing all these people with love and joy in there faces all because of one person whom you deny..
      Anne's comment Amen and allejuia Praise the Lord Jesus ! for He is the Best Hope this planet has ! ! !
    • jerzy  •  Neenah, United States  •  6 mths ago
      all you idiots what you gonna say on the other side
    • POPI366  •  Upland, United States  •  6 mths ago
      Looking at pictures of people voluntarily standing in the cold to see
      their relic is not news. showing us a picture of of the relic would be.
    • Just Me, Richard  •  Knoxville, United States  •  6 mths ago
      My former Church has a relic consisting of 3 very tiny threads from this. If I had the money, I would go on pilgramage.
    • michael  •  Irvine, United States  •  6 mths ago
      i am a beleiver and have received her blessing, thank you for opening my eyes to your miracle
    • godbless j  •  Dar es Salaam, Tanzania  •  6 mths ago
      Should they bring the relic to Africa
    • jtWallace  •  6 mths ago
      We know this once belonged to Mary how???
    • POPI366  •  Upland, United States  •  6 mths ago
      Doesn't it say in the bible that god said not to worship any " graven "
      image whether it be this camel hair belt or the popes ring ?
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