Moscow, May. 1, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Officials of the Russian Orthodox Church have angrily denied rumors that Patriarch Alexei II is seriously ill.
The Russian patriarch returned to Moscow on May 1 after a brief trip to Switzerland, where he had undergone a physical examination and evidently received some medical treatment. But spokesmen for the patriarchate stressed that the visit had been previously arranged, and Alexei's medical condition is not a matter of any urgency.
Rumors about the patriarch's health had begun to swirl when he failed to attend the April 25 funeral of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin. The revelation that he had checked into a Swiss medical clinic was soon followed by reports that he was gravely ill, and some internet reports claimed that Alexei had died.
Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, a spokesman for the Moscow patriarchate, charged that the rumors were started by a powerful Russian individual who unable to arrange a private meeting with the patriarch.
Patriarch Alexei is healthy and will resume his normal working schedule, the Moscow patriarchate announced. The patriarch is due to preside at the Divine Liturgy at a convent in Moscow on May 2.
The Russian prelate, who is 78 years old, suffered a heart attack in 2002, and since that time his health has been the subject of many rumors. He has served as leader of the Russian Orthodox church since June 1990.