Easter Message
Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine to the Most Reverend Archpastors,
God-loving Pastors, Honest Monasticism and All Orthodox Faithful of Ukraine
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Christ is Risen!
“Now everything is filled with light – heaven and earth and the depths under the earth; let all creation celebrate the Resurrection of Christ” (the first troparion of the third song of the Easter canon), – the Church sings again in joy, meeting the Lord, Who came out of the tomb, having defeated evil and death. Although we are separated from the place and time of this joyful event by a distance of thousands of kilometers and twenty centuries of history, by the power and action of faith we are also among the witnesses of the Lord’s resurrection today. Therefore, today, as almost two thousand years ago, we, together with the myrrh-bearing women who hurried to the tomb to fulfill their duty of honoring the deceased Teacher, also hear from the angels the joyful news: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said” (Matt. 28: 5-6).
This joy that fills our hearts when we proclaim the news of Christ’s resurrection is the fulfillment in each of us of those words that the Lord said to the apostle Thomas: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20: 29). We did not see with our physical eyes what the myrrh-bearing women and the apostles saw on the day of the resurrection, but by the power of faith, with the eyes of our souls, we now, on this Easter, truly see the Lord Jesus Christ, Who, as the victor over death, came out of the tomb.
And that is why the Resurrection of Christ for us is not some event that has long passed, and even more so – not a symbolic story about the victory of good over evil. Faith in the risen Christ and life in accordance with this faith is the cornerstone of our confession, because thanks to the resurrection of the Savior, death has been overcome, evil no longer has absolute power over man, and hell has been defeated.
However, we must not forget that before the resurrection of Christ there was the betrayal of the disciple, and the unjust judgment, and the crucifixion on the cross, and the death and burial of the body in the tomb. We recently remembered all these events in the previous days, honoring the passion of Christ. And didn’t it seem at that moment to the disciples of the Savior and all the witnesses that all this was a terrible and sad end, the defeat of hope, the destruction of all expectations? But at the time when evil triumphed, it suffered a devastating defeat for itself.
God cannot be defeated – He always wins. He establishes the truth. He gives just retribution for both good and evil, and no one will escape God’s judgment. Therefore, we, dear brothers and sisters, although we celebrate Easter again in conditions of war, in conditions of grief and suffering, deaths and destruction brought by the Russian aggressor to the peaceful Ukrainian land, still rejoice today. We rejoice, knowing that Christ is risen as the victor over evil, and therefore He helps to overcome and triumph over all evil. We rejoice because we have in the risen Christ the hope of eternal life, knowing that even death is only temporary, because on the day of the Savior’s Second Coming it will recede and lose its power forever, and all the dead will be resurrected.
Celebrating the Resurrection of Christ, today we renew our hope for the victory of truth and goodness, receiving from God the strength to continue the struggle against darkness and sin both in ourselves and in the world around us. And, sharing the Easter joy with each other, glorifying the risen Christ and testifying to our personal faith in Him, we are both filled with light ourselves and multiply the light around us, driving away the darkness of evil. Therefore, let us congratulate our neighbors and everyone on the Bright Resurrection of Christ!
Our first and most special heartfelt greetings, as always in this time of war, are directed to our defenders, to the Ukrainian soldiers. Thanks to you, we can celebrate this Easter in relative peace, now performing Divine Service in our native language, glorifying the risen Christ in our native Local Church. May the Lord help you in the struggle and grant you victory over the enemy!
We salute the volunteers, the doctors, we salute all our friends and allies around the world and all people of good will who, no matter what, continue to actively contribute to the victory of truth and goodness for Ukraine and the world, persistently bringing closer the time of a just, God-blessed peace.
At this time of the holiday, we do not forget in our prayers those who celebrate this Easter under the conditions of Russian occupation, in enemy captivity and captivity. May the Lord ease your difficulties and suffering, protect you from human bitterness and soon liberate you.
May our heartfelt greetings from Golden-Domed Kyiv, from the Cathedral of St. Sophia, from the Ukrainian Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra reach all the children of Ukraine, wherever they may now live. Despite all the external circumstances of time, may love for God and for our native Ukraine unite us all!
We congratulate the President of Ukraine, the state authorities, local governments, and all those called to serve society on the holiday of the Resurrection of Christ. May God bless all your good deeds and help bring about the victory of truth and a just peace.
Sharing the joy of the holiday with all who now celebrate the Bright Resurrection of Christ, let us be established in our faith, strengthened by hope in God, and testify to them with deeds of mercy and sacrificial love!
And let us proclaim again and again the great news of God’s victory:
Christ is risen!
Epiphanius
Metropolitan of Kyiv
and All Ukraine,
Primate of the Orthodox
Church of Ukraine
Easter of Christ,
2025 of the year of God,
Kyiv
