MOSCOW (Realist English). His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ has delivered his traditional Easter message to the archpastors, clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church. The full text has been published on the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate.
This year, Easter was celebrated on the same day by both Orthodox and Catholic Christians — a rare convergence in the liturgical calendars of East and West.
At the heart of the message is a testimony to the Resurrection of Christ as “a firm foundation of faith and hope.” The Patriarch emphasized that Easter is not merely the remembrance of a historical event, but a living experience of victory over sin, death, and evil. Quoting Saint Nicholas of Serbia, he wrote: “Christ’s victory is like the sun, pouring light upon all,” contrasting it with earthly victories that divide humanity.
The address is rich in references to the apostolic epistles, hymnography, and the writings of the Church Fathers. The Patriarch underlined that the Resurrection is not only a deliverance from darkness, but also the gift of “the power to overcome evil through repentance, prayer, and participation in the Eucharist.” He urged the faithful not to waver in their faith, even if their efforts seem like the widow’s mite, and reminded them that “our labor is not in vain before the Lord.”
According to the Primate, Easter is a passage out of the captivity of sin and a journey toward the Kingdom of Heaven — to eternal life with God and unity with the Creator. Concluding his message, Patriarch Kirill called on the faithful to share the joy of Easter, glorifying the Risen Christ “in word and in deed.”
