Department for External Church Relations
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DECR chairman sends Easter greetings to Primates of Local Orthodox Churches
DECR Communication Service, 12/04/2026
On 12th April 2026, the Feast of the Holy Pascha of Christ, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, sent greetings to His Beatitude Patriarch John X of the Great Antioch and All the East; His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine; His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia; His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania; His Holiness Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria; His Beatitude Archbishop Joani of Tirana and All Albania; His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland; His Beatitude Metropolitan Rostislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia; His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada; and His Beatitude Archbishop Stefan of Ohrid and Macedonia. The text of the message is given below.
On the great and world-saving Feast of Holy Pascha, I cordially greet you with these words of ancient Christian salutation:
CHRIST IS RISEN!
Filled with joy and awe at the mystery of our redemption, we give ardent praise to the Pre-Eternal God Who showed His ineffable love for humankind.
The Only-Begotten Son of God has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (Heb 9:26). Having suffered on the cross and risen on the third day, He reconciled us with the Heavenly Father, opened to us the gates of heaven, which had been shut because of Adam’s transgression, and to all who believed in His name gave power to become children of God (Jn 1:12).
As Saint Theodore the Studite writes, on this feast of feasts the angels hymn and the prophets rejoice, and all creation feasts together, for the day of salvation has dawned upon it, the Sun of Righteousness shone again (Catechetical Sermon on the Holy Great Sunday of Pascha).
I prayerfully wish that the Risen Christ may always strengthen you in your Primatial ministry, granting you peace, spiritual joy and well-being.
With respect and love in the Lord,
Chairman
Department for External Church Relations
Moscow Patriarchate
Patriarch
Department Chairman
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