Patriarch Kirill in his Easter message called on the peoples of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus to peace

Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’ Kirill in his Easter message touched upon the topic of the military operation in Ukraine. He expressed the hope that the peoples of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus would be granted a “lasting and just peace.” Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on April 16th.

The patriarch said that on the Easter holiday, “special prayers are addressed to God for people who are in the war zone.” “We raise our solemn petitions to the Lord that he, by his mercy, heal bodily, and especially spiritual wounds, console all sorrows and bestow a lasting and just peace on the brotherly peoples who have emerged from the single Dnieper baptismal font,” his message says. (quote from TASS).

According to the patriarch, “any, even the smallest virtue, overcoming one’s own egoism for the benefit of another person brings us closer to God.” “No matter what happens in a changeable, sometimes restless and torn by contradictions world, no matter what difficulties and trials may fall to our lot, we know, believe and preach: the Paschal joy of the resurrected Savior remains unchanged and all-conquering,” he noted.

Patriarch saidthat Russia in “our current battle” is “on the side of the world” and “opposes evil.” In his opinion, when it became clear that “there is nothing in common anymore, all this led to a military confrontation” in Ukraine. In April, the patriarch established the position of chief military priest who will work with military personnel and employees of other law enforcement agencies in the zone of the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

Laura Keffer