Today, Orthodox Christians celebrate their main holiday: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, or Easter. There are hundreds of millions of parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church all over the world, and this includes more than 300 dioceses, 40 thousand priests from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad, from Japan to the USA and Canada, in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. On all continents on Saturday night, the Orthodox gathered in churches to share the joy of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- Christ is risen!
- Truly He is risen!
- Christ is risen!
- Truly He is risen!
- Christ is risen!
- Truly He is risen! This event is the basis of the Christian faith; a symbol of the victory over death and the hope for eternal life. On Easter Eve, in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia performed a procession, the Paschal Matins, and the Divine Liturgy.
Nikolay Vasiliev has the details of how the Russian Orthodox world celebrated the holiday of the Resurrection of Christ.
- Christ is risen!
- Truly He is rise!
- Christ is risen!
While the Orthodox were already greeting each other in the capital of Japan in celebration of the resurrection of the Savior, in the Church of St.
Nicholas in Rome, they just started preparing for the consecration of Easter eggs and Easter bread. There are 300 million Orthodox in the world, and all of them are in churches today. But the scope of the festivities is most noticeable on the streets during the procession. Here's the procession of parishioners of the Epiphany Cathedral at Yelokhovo, Moscow.
“This is the most sacred and large-scale holiday in Christianity. This is a celebration of the victory of life over death.”
“We'd like to raise our kids to follow such important traditions from birth, from the very beginning of life.”
By midnight, the Holy Fire that descended in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem was delivered to Moscow by plane. Having walked around the walls of the main cathedral of the Russian Church (the Cathedral of Christ the Savior) with the procession, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill announced the good news of the Orthodox believers' brightest holiday:
- Christ is risen!
- Truly He is risen!
The belief in the miracle of the resurrection unites everyone in one church, from a student of a Moscow university to a pilgrim from a distant region, and to the head of state. This is a common prayer.
Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia: “If we believe in Christ the Savior, if we believe in his victory over evil, we become participators in this victory. We're on the side of the strong. We're on the side of the one who won. We're among the winners.”
On Easter night at the altar of the main church of Russia, there's an unusual folding icon: the Image of Edessa. This is the shrine of the church being built for the Armed Forces. It will be built in the Moscow region in a year. The image was drawn and decorated just in time for the eve of the holiday of the Resurrection, and during the service, the Patriarch consecrated that icon. The Russian president donated money out of his personal savings for its creation.
"This is a great image".
Festive divine services were held throughout the country; residents of such different places as the polar region of Chukotka, with its rattling icy winds, and Crimea, the cradle of Russian Orthodox Christianity, with its St. George Monastery on Cape Fiolent.
- Christ is risen!
- Truly He is risen!
This monastery, located right on the coast of the Black Sea, is over 11 centuries old.
Archimandrite Vissarion (Klanovets), Senior Priest of the St. George Monastery: "This is one of the oldest monasteries on the Crimean peninsula. It was founded by the Greeks before the Baptism of Russia. From that moment, we've been constantly glorifying the Resurrection of Christ".
There was an Easter procession in the capital of Chechnya, which is mostly Islamic.
Daniil Martynov, Assistant to the Governor of the Chechen Republic: “The church is full of people. All of the churches in our republic are now filled with people. And I see many new people coming. There are many new parishioners. It's reassuring. It's great.”
In the newly rebuilt Church of the Archangel Michael in Grozny, there's the same bright mood as in the ancient Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius in Sergiev Posad. For priests, current and future ones, prayer is the main celebration.
Alexander Cherepenin, Moscow Theological Academy student: “Easter is a day that demonstrates what life is. It shows more of it than other days because Christ has defeated death.”
Easter Sunday is the end of Holy Week, symbolizing the completion of the human life of Jesus. On Friday, in churches, the burial shroud of the crucified Savior is being brought out. But the resurrection is also the beginning of the new life of Christ, the Son of God, the One who defeated death.
In the Theological Academy, where over 800 students from all over the world study, it's obvious how popular and relevant Orthodoxy is today. After all, these young people come to church themselves to learn the strict instructions which Christ gave to his apostles about helping one's neighbor.
Amvrosy (Ermakov), Head of the Moscow Theological Academy: "Easter isn't just the most important day of the year, it's the most important day in one's life. In the 21st century, Christ is the same as he used to be. He'll always be like this, tomorrow and forever. That's why he always attracts people".
Orthodox believers still have the Bright Week (or the Pascha Week) to look forward to. Churches all over the world will be open around the clock to parishioners. At each service, bells will ring in festive tones in honor of the Resurrection of Christ.
Nikolay Vasiliev, Viktor Prikhodko, Ivan Murashov, Alexander Ponomarev for Vesti Weekly.
