Christ descended to the “alienation zone” to break everything what separates a man from God and alienates man from man”, the Head of the UGCC on Pasch

With these words the Head and Father of the UGCC started his Paschal homily on the day of the Resurrection of Christ in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv, May 1^st.

Together with the Head of the Church co-served Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, apostolic nuncio in Ukraine and bishop Yosyf (Milyan), bishop-auxiliary of Kyiv Archeparchy of the UGCC.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav pointed out that Christ’s Resurrection means not only a reanimation of a dead or returning a Master to his disciples: “Resurrection of Christ is something deeper. With a passion singing we heard how Christ majestically came out from Abyss. Death and abyss - the greatest tyrants of a man were conquered by Him”. The preacher thinks that we can call hades an “alienation zone”. “The most extreme danger for a man is a sin. It is the most terrible spiritual catastrophe that can happen to a clever human being. A sin leads to the “alienation zone”, what is death”, explained he.

Abyss – is a zone of hopeless who were estranged from God’s love. And Christ is the God who created a man, went so far with them, yet they separate themselves from Him, who ascended through his cross death to the Abyss, “alienation zone” to rescue all prisoners of darkness and death, to break everything what separates a man from God and alienates man from man. That is the reason why everything is assembled again and filled with light and life: “Everything is united with God again. He is a good shepherd, found His lost sheep, beginning with the first human Adam and up today”.

“So today we celebrate our victory over our alienation from God and a neighbor. We celebrate closeness and unity with God and the neighbor!”, proceeded the Head of the Church.

“How many “alienation zones” being an open wound inflict soul and body of the Ukrainian people today! Recently, on Great Week Ukraine commemorated 30^th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster which created a “visible “alienation zone” – “death zone”. “How many of our brothers and sisters are kept in captivity of the newest “alienation zones” of the occupational government – in Crimea and Donbas. How many of our fellow-brothers are under the threat to be alienated even within zones where military actions take place. How often do we forget about the war in Ukraine, wishing to avoid pain and suffering of our neighbors! But we also feel that our brothers and sisters, similar to Nadia Savchenko and others, were trapped into another “alienation zone”, separated from the world and civilization, any goodness and justice. We need so much someone who will break everything what separates, alienates and humiliates us”, said the Major Archbishop of the UGCC.

This day has come! Victory is already among us through our Christian life, our faith and triumph over disbelief, idleness and disappointment. “Wishing everybody to be united and drawn close to God and others by the joy of Christ’s Resurrection. There is nothing what can divide Ukrainian people. Let us be united in our families, hurry with good news to those who feels abandoned. I greet soldiers who break “alienation zones”, and volunteers who bring paschal joy to that zones. I greet those who suffered and lost their relatives. The joy of Christ goes along a free and independent Ukraine”, - congratulated with the Resurrection of Christ, His Beatitude Sviatoslav. 

The UGCC Department of Information