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Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, sent Paschal greetings to His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Iliya II of All Georgia, His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania, His Holiness Patriarch Neophytos of Bulgaria, His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus, His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania, His Beatitude Metropolitan Sava of Warsaw and All Poland, His Beatitude Metropolitan Rastislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada.

The message reads, in particular:

Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on Christ’s Bright Resurrection:

CHRIST IS RISEN!

“O Passover, release from sorrow! For today from the tomb, as from a chamber of repose, Christ has shone forth, and has filled the women with joy, saying: Proclaim the glad tiding to the apostles” (Paschal verse).

Together with the first witnesses to the Lord’s Resurrection, we are illumined by the joyful Paschal light and render thanks to God the Father, whose great mercy “has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1:3).

“In the time appointed, on our solemn feast day” (Ps 81:3), I prayerfully entreat that the risen Saviour strengthen with his grace your bodily and spiritual powers for the accomplishing of your Primatial ministry in the confirmation of the holy Orthodox faith so that your flock steadfastly “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness” (1 Tim 6:11).

With reverential love in the Lord,

 

/+ Hilarion/

Metropolitan of Volokolamsk

Chairman

Department for External Church Relations

Moscow Patriarchate