Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates at the Church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ Icon on Easter night

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, officiated at divine services on Easter night at the Church of the ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ Icon of the Mother of God.

Clerics of the church concelebrated; the Moscow Synodal choir conducted by the honoured artist of Russia Alexei Puzakov sang.

A procession with the cross, in which all the worshippers took part, was held at midnight.

The Gospel according to John (1:1-17) was read by Metropolitan Hilarion and his concelebrants in Greek, Latin, English, French, Japanese and Russian languages.

Hegumen Filaret (Gorbovsky) read out the Pascal message by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to the Archpastors, Pastors, Deacons, Monastics and All the Faithful Children of the Russian Orthodox Church. After the Prayer before the Ambo, Metropolitan Hilarion blessed the Artos.