Pascha in Ukraine

(UOC-MP) - In the night of April 3 - 4 the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over the divine service that has been performed already for three years in the square in front of the Cathedral of the Holy Dormition of the Kyiv Caves Monastery.

Concelebrating to His Beatitude were Deputy Abbot of the Laura Archbishop Pavel of Vyshgorod, Rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary Archbishop Anthony of Boryspil, Bishop Hilary of Makariv, Secretary for the Primate of the UOC Bishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy, Bishop Panteleimon of Vasylkiv and the monastery clergy.

Praying together with the Primate were thousands of faithful. Attending the divine service also were President of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych, Prime-Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov, speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Volodymyr Lytvyn, Kyiv city mayor Leonid Chornovetskyy, members of the government, people's deputies and other high officials.

Before the beginning of the Paschal service the President of Ukraine received a capsule with Holy Fire from the Primate's hands.

The Paschal service started with the Sacred Procession carrying the Holy Fire and the Icon of Resurrection of Christ around the Dormition Cathedral, following which the Matins and Divine Liturgy were served.

One of the peculiarities of the Paschal divine office is reading of the Gospel's beginning in several languages. In particular, this night at the Liturgy the Holy Scripture was read in Greek, Latin, Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, and Church-Slavonic.

At the divine service Bishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy read out the Message of His Holiness Patriarch Theophilus of Jerusalem to the Ukrainian people, and Archbishop Pavel of Vyshgorod - that of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

Following the divine liturgy His Beatitude performed consecration of the Artos, and blessed Easter cakes and eggs.