To the Holy Archbishop's Synod of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia
(
03.02.2006
) "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2. Cor. 5:1) Your Excellencies, Dear brothers in Christ, We have received the news about the decease of His Beatitude Nikolaj, Metropolitan of the The whole Orthodox world, not only your Holy Church and the Orthodoxy in the Czech Lands and Slovakia, has lost a god-inspired archpastor and Christ's archierarch, filled with love for God and for the neighbour to the extend of self-sacrifice, working in God's land. We have also felt and received his God-given wisdom and love for men, through his sincere and evangelical love towards the With the person of His Beatitude Nikolaj we have all lost a strong pillar of Orthodoxy in our modern living and existence. To you, brotherly archierarchs of the Holy Archbishop's Synod of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia, to the presbyters, the monks and the faithful of Your Holy Church, we express our grief and sadness in the name of the Head of the Eternal remembrance, and God forgive his soul. + S T E F A N ARCHBISHOP OF OHRID AND HEAD OF THE HOLY ARCHBISHOP'S SYNOD OF THE