Patriarch Kirill sends Easter greetings to Pope Benedict

Moscow, April 13, Interfax – Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has sent Easter greetings to the heads of Churches celebrating Easter on April 12.

Among them are Pope Benedict XVI, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians, Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, Chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany Wolfgang Huber, Archbishop Jukka Paarma of Turku and Finland.

The Moscow Patriarch wished them “a shining and transforming joy in the Resurrected Christ, as well as peace, good health and God’s bountiful help” in their “lofty service,” the Russian Church official site reports.

“Our hearts are being filled with joy today, for, as St. Melito of Sardis said, by Resurrection Christ “is leading us from slavery to freedom, from darkness to light, from death to life and from bonds to God’s Infinite Kingdom,” the Patriarch writes.

He urged all Christians “to live a life, joyously demonstrating the victory of the Resurrected Savior over the sin and death.” And this requires that we all “bear the purity of the Christian spiritual and moral ideals,” Patriarch Kirill said.

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