The President of Russia attended the ceremonial signing of the Act on Canonical Communion that was held in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
Patriarch of Moscow and all-Russia Aleksii II and First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad Metropolitan Laurus signed the historic document.
The restoration of unity in the Church is an essential prerequisite for the restoration of the lost unity of the entire Russian world, a world in which the Orthodox faith has always acted as a spiritual foundation said Mr Putin at the ceremony.
Signing the Act on Canonical Communion implies that the Russian Church Abroad will return to the Moscow Patriarchate as well as the entire Orthodox community that, so far, has never recognized the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. As of today, as part of the Mother Church, parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad will be able to take communion in all Orthodox churches in the world and its clergy will have the right to conduct services together with the hierarchs and clerics of the 15 local Orthodox churches.