Reburial of the remains of Alexei and Maria

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Alexey 1904

The Heads of the ROC in Russia sound like a bunch of bullheaded individuals. If they didn't recognize the rest of the Tsar and his family, why are they buried in a Russian Church?

The Russian Orthodox Church has canonized Tsar Nicholas II and his family, martyrs in the eyes of the Church. The official stance is that the Church wants to be absolutely sure that the remains, attributed to the Tsarevich and his sister Grand-Duchess Maria, are indeed theirs and can be added to their parents and siblings. As they are canonized, the graves of the last Tsar and his family are a place of pilgrimage. The Church does not want to rely on external testing but wants to have a full and detailed report from experts they themselves have appointed. Nothing wrong with that.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Valerie Rose

I wonder whether the Russian Orthodox Church may be requiring further authentication because of the family's canonisation as Martyrs or Passion-Bearers: would that have a bearing on the importance of the location of their interment being correctly ascertained?
May they rest in peace.

Yes that is it. They do not want to see people making pilgrimages to visit graves of Martyrs and Saints but not being sure if it indeed are the Tsarevich and his sister Grand-Duchess Maria.

[wyevale]

Video report of the forthcoming burial of Alexei and Maria -

Ð�ачалаÑ�ÑŒ дополнительнаÑ� генетичеÑ�каÑ� Ñ�кÑ�пертиза оÑ�танков Ð*омановых / Ð�овоÑ�ти культуры / Tvkultura.ru

On 18 October - Saint's day of Tsarevich Alexei, the last heir to the Russian throne. After almost a century, this day can find one more symbolic meaning - it is regarded as a possible date for the burial of the remains of Tsarevich Alexei and his sister Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna.
Details of the upcoming ceremony is kept in strict confidence. But in St. Catherine chapel, where is buried the family of the last Russian emperor, is works in full preparation. Access is closed, and before it is installed a picture: it shows the plate with the names of Maria Nikolaevna and Alexei Nikolayevich which were established in 1998. They are no different from the rest, except for one detail - they left the place where, after October 18 will be carved the last date.
"The family clearly believes that those remains. The family clearly recognizes the remains. For history is important because it closes some pages, some of the stages of Russian history"- said the representative of the Association of the Romanov dynasty in Russia Ivan Artsishevsky.
Now will be buried children - emphasize the Peter and Paul Cathedral staff - representatives of the Romanov dynasty. That is what will determine the scenario of the ceremony first. And secondly, the high status of Tsarevich Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna.

[An Ard Ri]

ROMANOV FAMILY REMAINS: UPDATE – 16 OCTOBER, 2015.

ROMANOV FAMILY REMAINS: UPDATE - 16 OCTOBER, 2015. - The Romanov Family

[An Ard Ri]

TSAR ALEXANDER III WILL BE EXHUMED: UPDATE ON ROMANOV FAMILY REMAINS

TSAR ALEXANDER III WILL BE EXHUMED: UPDATE ON ROMANOV FAMILY REMAINS - The Romanov Family

[Duc_et_Pair]

It is praised that maximum clarity is wanted about the DNA of the Tsarevtich and his sister.

[Chubb Fuddler]

I have a theory about the latest round of testing. In 1998 Patriarch Alexy II could not (or would not) recognise the remains. He died in 2008 and his successor Patriarch Kirill may now want to settle this issue once and for all. But if Patriarch Kirill just recognised them without further testing, it might be seen as a criticism of Patriarch Alexy II's stubborn refusal to do so, and his failure to preside at the funeral of the glorified Passion Bearers. This way, Patriarch Kirill can recognise the remains of those already buried, and those still languishing in the Russian State Archives. Because his decision will be based on new evidence, he can do so without the implied criticism of his predecessor. Then the entire family can finally be laid to rest with the appropriate liturgy. Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens after the exhumation and testing of Emperor Alexander III.

[Duc_et_Pair]

I agree with your assessment. It is walking eggs for the Russian Orthodox Church, they want to avoid the fathful to venerate "Saints" and "Martyrs" while in reality it are the bones of an unknown Mr X or Mrs Y.

[An Ard Ri]

I wonder if the remains of the last Tsars sisters Xenia and Olga will ever be reburied in their native Russia?


Grand Duchess Xenia is buried in the South of France
Grand Duchess Olga is buried in Canada

[Ceallach]

Russian has announced that DNA tests of the remains confirm their identity to be that of Tsar Nicholas II.


Russia says new DNA tests confirm last tsar's remains

[Al_bina]

IC: The examination did confirm the identity of Nicholas's II and Alexandra Fedorovna's remains. - Gazeta.Ru |

SledCom: Genetic tests confirmed the identities of Nicholas II's and Empress Alexandra Fedorovna's remains.

Tests will continue to identify all the remains from Ekaterinburg.

[An Ard Ri]

DNA confirms bodies are Tsar Nicholas II & Alexandra

DNA confirms bodies are Tsar Nicholas II & Alexandra - The Crown Chronicles

[Moonmaiden23]

Was the exhumation of Tsar Alexander III done to obtain DNA to confirm his son Nicholas's identity, or those of his grandchildren Alexei and Maria?

May they all rest in peace.

[An Ard Ri]

ROMANOV FAMILY: TOMB OF TSAR ALEXANDER III OPENED PREVIOUSLY?

ROMANOV FAMILY: TOMB OF TSAR ALEXANDER III OPENED PREVIOUSLY? - The Romanov Family

[Al_bina]

Vesti.ru: Alexander III's tomb may be opened on 24 November 2015

Alexander III's tomb may be opened | ria.ri

[AristoCat]

Remains of Tsesarevich Alexey, Grand Duchess Maria transferred to Novospassky Monastery

Moscow, December 24, Interfax - The remains of two children of Russia's last Emperor Nicholas II, Tsevarevich Alexey and Grand Duchess Maria, are in the Novospassky Monastery in Moscow, Sergey Mironenko, a member of the State Archive and a member of the governmental working group, told Interfax.

Remains of Tsesarevich Alexey, Grand Duchess Maria transferred to Novospassky Monastery | A Russian Orthodox Church Website

[Rudolph]

New York Times World ‏@nytimesworld
Russian Orthodox Church blocks funeral for last of the murdered royals of the Romanov dynasty

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/14/wo...orld&smtyp=cur

[COUNTESS]

Why would you canonize people who were hardly saints.

[PetticoatLane]

The Roman Catholic Church does it all the time, so why not the Russian Orthodox?

[Curryong]

Those poor innocent murdered offspring of the Tsar and Tsarina might not have been saints but were hardly devils either and they were by all accounts extremely devout.
I just hope that this latest investigation doesn't take years. The family should lie in peace together.