British Isles who had followed him in his departure from the Russian Orthodox Church into the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This body was given the title Episcopal Vicariate of Great Britain and Ireland, and consisted of some twelve parishes and some smaller Eucharistic Communities. In March 2007, negotiations took place in Geneva between representatives of the two patriarchates (Moscow and Constantinople). These concluded with the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate releasing Osborne from its jurisdiction on 27 March. Commenting to the media on the synod's decision, Metropolitan Kyrill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department of External Church Relations, said that "The problem arose because Bishop Basil went over to Constantinople without any request from Constantinople and without any consent from the Moscow Patriarchate. Now Constantinople has requested his documents, which customarily include a letter of release. This means that the Moscow Patriarchate has granted Bishop Basil a canonical leave." Recent events Fiftieth anniversary celebrations of the cathedral On 15 October 2006 the Diocese of Sourozh celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the consecration of the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and all Saints. Joining the Diocese for this special event were Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Archbishop , Archbishop Theofan of Berlin and Germany, as well as Bishop Hilarion (Alfeyev). In his message to the faithful of the diocese for that occasion, Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia stressed that the cathedral is home to a "'multitudinous and multilingual flock", and that this is quite proper for the Church, being "a single body made up of many and dissimilar members, filled with one Spirit". Alexy exhorted the members of the diocese to 'bear one another's burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2). He hoped that the celebrations would contribute to the "healing" of the "wounds" inflicted upon the diocese in recent times. Consecration of Bishop Elisey of Bogorodsk On 26 November 2006, Archimandrite Elisey (Ganaba) was consecrated Bishop of Bogorodsk at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, to be assistant bishop to Archbishop , with pastoral responsibility for the Diocese of Sourozh. At his consecration, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and all Russia laid upon him three tasks. 'First of all, above all other tasks, however great and urgent they may be', Bishop Elisey is to 'face the daily and unceasing task of caring for each child