The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople consoles the Ukrainian Orthodox with exclusion from Easter in Jerusalem. Russian Orthodox bring sacred fire to the Lavra of the Kiev Caves and the churches of Donetsk.
Moscow (AsiaNews) - During the Easter celebration on Sunday 28 April, for the first time, the patriarchal message was also read in the Ukrainian language. A video with the message being read was posted by Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Sibiha, via Twitter, and the news was picked up by the Rbk-Ukraina agency (click here).
"Today during the celebration of Easter at the Phanar, Patriarch Bartholomew read his message also in Ukrainian - a year ago it would have been unthinkable! Believe, and victory will be forever! Everything for Ukraine!”, Is the ambassador's enthusiastic text.
The words of the ecumenical patriarch have consoled, at least partially, the Ukrainian autocephalous Orthodox excluded from celebrations at the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, sanctioned by the Patriarch Theophilos, at the invitation of the Russians.
The Orthodox faithful in Moscow then carried the "holy fire" of Jerusalem, in procession, from the Lavra of the Kiev Caves to the churches of Donetsk, the self-proclaimed pro-Russian republic in the disputed area of Ukraine whose inhabitants President Putin granted Russian citizenship in recent days.
Patriarch Bartholomew also sent his blessing to the new Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky for the victory in the April 21 elections, inviting him to continue the reforms in Ukraine, and assuring him of support in the spiritual revival of the country.
Zelensky apologized further for the irony with which he referred to the Tomos that conceded autocephaly in his television shows, prompted by the "patriarch emeritus" Filaret (Denisenko).
The Kiev metropolitan Epiphanous (Dumenko) has assured the election results pose no risk of the Tomos being revoked, even if the new president radically changes the course of Ukrainian politics.