Moscow hosts International Orthodox forum Christmas Readings

On January 24-31 Moscow will host the 12th International Christmas Education Readings, a major annual Orthodox forum.

"The Feat of Russia's New Martyrs and Confessors and Spiritual Revival of the Fatherland" is the focus of the Christmas Readings-2004.

70 sections will work within the framework of the Forum, including "Orthodoxy and Medicine", "Drug Addicts Rehabilitation", "Orthodoxy, Ecology and Morality", "The Church Slavonic Language and Russian Literature", "Moral, Spiritual and Patriotic Education of Children and Youth", "The Orthodox Comprehension of Contemporary Globalization", "Church and Law", "Orthodoxy. Cinema. Theatre", "Internet and Multimedia Technologies", etc. More than 900 reports will be delivered.

The Education Ministry will host a conference on the studies of Orthodox culture at school and the Patriarch's residence in the Svyato-Danilov monastery will witness the presentation of the concept of the Youth Spiritual Development Center.

The international festival of Christian art will be held as part of the Christmas Readings.

12,000 Orthodox Christians from all over the world visited this forum in 2003 and this year the forum will have even more guests.

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexis II is the honorary chairman of the forum.