” “On Sunday, April 30 in all the parishes in Archdiocese of Mother of God in Moscow will be held special Masses and prayers for Chernobyl victims and those suffering. Archbishop Tadeush Kondrusiewicz appealed to all parish priests to arrange the worships in their communities.” “This would be an action to commemorate Chernobyl disaster victims. Also a prayer for the victims will be lifted up on April 30 in the Moscow Patriarchate churches. Rev. Mikhail Prokopenko, head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations communication service approved that the Holy Synod of the Russian Church resolved that a prayer for the victims and for the health of the liquidators of its consequences should have place. The prayer will be held on the first Sunday after the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident.
” “The tragedy happened in 1986 was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel and without proper regard for safety. The resulting steam explosion and fire released at least five percent of the radioactive reactor core into the atmosphere and downwind. 28 people died within four months from radiation or thermal burns, 19 have subsequently died, and there have been around nine deaths from thyroid cancer apparently due to the accident: total 56 fatalities as of 2004. Nobody off-site suffered from acute radiation effects. However, large areas of Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and beyond were contaminated in varying degrees. The 2005 Chernobyl Forum report said that some 7 000 000 people are now receiving or eligible for benefits as “Chernobyl victims”.” “
