The ecumenical patriarch of the Orthodox Church expresses solidarity with Ukraine
The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, the most prominent figure of the Orthodox Churches, has expressed his solidarity with the people of Ukraine in his Easter message, a holiday that the Orthodox celebrate tomorrow. “We are together with the devout and brave people of Ukraine, who carry a heavy cross, and we suffer with them,” Bartholomew wrote in his letter to the faithful, published on the website of the Patriarchate, whose headquarters are in Istanbul, the former Constantinople.
“The radiant message of the resurrection resounds today alongside the horrible sound of weapons, the heart-rending cries of the innocent victims of military aggression and the suffering of the refugees, among whom there are numerous innocent children,” the ecclesiastic wrote. “It is unimaginable for us Christians to remain silent in the face of the annulment of human dignity,” emphasizes the 82-year-old religious, who has held the most prestigious position in the Orthodox Churches since 1991, although he only directly directs a few thousand faithful in Turkey, to which is added the spiritual leadership over part of the Greek Orthodox community.