| Orthodox Christians across the globe who retain the | | | | Malenchenko, the Russian flight engineer aboard the |
| Julian calendar are making final preparations to | | | | International Space Station, will mark Orthodox |
| celebrate Christmas on Monday. | | | | Christmas Monday with his two American crew |
| In his annual Christmas Eve address, the head of the | | | | members. |
| Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy, praised | | | | In Rome, Pope Benedict marked the Roman Catholic |
| the head of the exiled Russian church, Metropolitan | | | | feast of the Epiphany with an address voicing hope |
| Laurus for his "substantial" efforts to reunite the two | | | | for a "just and united world." |
| institutions after decades of separation. | | | | Balkan media made little reference to the holiday, as |
| The two churches broke apart after the Russian | | | | much of the region continued to grapple with the |
| revolution in 1917, but signed a reconciliation | | | | aftermath of last week's massive winter storm. |
| document last year to end their 80-year schism. | | | | Much of the Balkans remained immobilized Sunday by |
| The Orthodox Church in Serbia used its annual | | | | the storm, which slammed into the Black Sea region |
| message to the faithful to voice concern over the | | | | Thursday. News reports from the Romanian capital |
| future ofSerbia's breakaway Kosovo province. Church | | | | say most roadways and public transit lines are still |
| leaders called on believers to spend one ot the two | | | | blocked, and that Bucharest remains virtually |
| most important Christian holidays in "peace, joy and | | | | paralyzed. |
| spiritual happiness." | | | | News reports Sunday from Sofia say the winter |
| Russia's Interfax news agency says Yuri | | | | storm was a snow disaster for Bulgaria. |