Orthodox Easter: Ukrainians massively in churches
Ukrainians flocked to churches on April 16, 2023, to celebrate Orthodox Easter. © REUTERS - STAFF
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
The Orthodox world celebrates this Sunday, April 16, Easter. Despite the vagaries of the war and the curfew that prevented the holding of night processions, Ukrainians flocked to churches for the traditional blessing of food baskets and colorful eggs, but also to maintain hope for peace. However, hostilities did not see an Easter truce, and last night Russian forces even targeted a church.
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With our correspondent in Kiev, Stéphane Siohan
Traditionally, Ukrainian churches are open all night, in the hours leading up to Easter Sunday, to allow believers to partake in blessings. This year, however, the authorities imposed a curfew, asking parishioners to stay at home, sometimes even stay in the church overnight.
In the village of Kushuhum, not far from the front, in the Zaporizhzhia region, the first public prayers were supposed to begin at 5 a.m., but in the night, around 2:30 a.m., Russian forces struck on the village, where several S-300 missiles fell that completely destroyed the village church. dating from 1906. The bombing also destroyed the rectory, as well as a bookstore, and if by some miracle there were no casualties, the strike particularly shocked the parishioners, certain that the church was targeted.
In Kiev, President Zelensky spoke from the symbolic site of the Pechersk Caves Lavra Monastery, historically the seat of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine. While the site is returning to the fold of the Ukrainian authorities, Volodymyr Zelensky said that these Easter holidays bring light and faith in victory.
► Read more: Ukrainian Orthodox celebrate Easter under the sign of division
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- Ukraine
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