Pope Francis urged Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to become "true peacemakers" for Ukraine together and to pray for each other, the Moscow Patriarchate said on Sunday.
"May the Holy Spirit transform our hearts and make us true peacemakers, especially for war-torn Ukraine, so that as soon as possible the great Easter transition from death to new life in Christ may become a reality for the Ukrainian people who long for a new dawn," the pontiff said in an Easter greeting published on the website of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Pope Francis, calling the patriarch a brother, invited him to pray for one another to "bear a credible witness to the gospel message of the risen Christ and to the Church as a universal sacrament of salvation."
"In these days, as we feel the weight of the suffering of the members of our human family, crushed by violence, war, and many injustices, let us again marvel with a grateful heart that the Lord took upon Himself all the evil and all the pain of our world. He did this for all time and everywhere in the universe by the power of His Cross, committing Himself sonically into the hands of the Father," the message read.
This year, Orthodox Christians are celebrating Easter on 24 April. As part of Easter week, a festival will be held on the territory of the museum complex of the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces starting Sunday, until 30 April.
In his Easter address, Patriarch Kirill called on Orthodox Christians to help those who have suffered as a result of armed hostilities and thanked everyone who has already provided support.
