Head of the UGCC in Easter Pastoral: Christ passes through all closed quarantine doors and says: Peace be with you!

“This year we are celebrating Christ’s Pascha in particular circumstances,” - says His Beatitude Sviatoslav, and adds - “in order to go deeper into this event, let us remember how and when the apostles first met the Risen Christ, how his closest disciples perceived the news of Christ's Resurrection." They were not in the temple, he goes on, they were not near the tomb, but were in the house behind closed doors for fear of the Jews, as the Holy Gospel tells us. And there they meet their resurrected Savior. He walks through the locked doors, stands among them, and says to them: “Peace be to you!”

"I think this year's way we celebrate Easter, how we meet with the Risen Christ, is reminiscent of those events, those circumstances and that moment of meeting," said the Head of the UGCC. We will sanctify our Easter baskets in unison with worship in our cathedrals, in our temples, but we will do it at home.

 "The Lord sanctifies our homes, our hearts, and sits with us for the Easter breakfast, for His next question to the dismayed disciples was: ‘Do you have anything to eat?’ He turns their fear into joy, the feeling of loss - into the experience of great gain, of the personal presence of Christ, who through the cross, suffering and resurrection triumphantly left the tomb and came to their home,” writes His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

"I greet you all on this great holiday. I wish you that the Risen Christ walk through all the closed doors of our despair, fear, uncertainty, and sit with each of you in your home for this Easter breakfast,” said the Primate.

“Let Easter in these circumstances be a moment of special meeting with our Risen Savior so that  we may all sing together: Christ is risen! He is Risen Indeed!" wished the Head of the UGCC.

The UGCC Department for Information