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Patriarchal Encyclical for Holy Pascha 2014
† BARTHOLOMEW
By the mercy of God
Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome
and Ecumenical Patriarch
to the plenitude of the Church
Grace, Peace and Mercy from Christ risen in glory
Christ is Risen!
Come, brethren and children in the Lord, receive the light from the unwaning Light of the Phanar, the Holy Center of the Orthodox, and let us all together and jointly glorify “Christ, Who is risen from the dead.”
The emotional state of the Lord’s disciples was grim after His Crucifixion, because by the Lord’s death on the Cross the hopes of His disciples were dispersed that He and they would one day prevail as political power. They had perceived the triumphant entrance of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, following the resurrection of Lazarus and the miraculous feeding of five thousand men, with additional women and children, by five loaves of bread and two fish, as a prelude of their conquering of secular authority. The mother of two of them moreover requested that her two sons sit by each side of the Lord, when He came to power. All these, however, dissipated as childish imaginations on account of the awful execution of Jesus Christ.
But, one Saturday morning, the Myrrh Bearers found the tomb empty and heard from an Angel that Jesus was risen from the dead. Shortly after, they saw Him in a different state not allowing the Myrrh Bearers to touch Him. This unexpected development of the situation caused the people close to Jesus to wonder about what was to happen next. They did not receive the answer right away. They were told to wait with patience and endurance until they received strength from above. Obeying the command, they waited until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down and revealed to them, in fullness, their new mission. This mission did not call for the liberation of one nation from its slavery bondages by another nation; instead it called for the liberation of all humanity from its enslavement by the master of evil and evil itself. This was another great mission and different from the one they had dreamt about.
Message By His All-Holiness to the Devout Ukrainian People on the occasion of the Triumphal Entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into the Holy City of Jerusalem
Your Excellencies, the political and ecclesiastical leaders of the Orthodox people of Ukraine; Beloved and precious Orthodox Ukrainian faithful: Слава Ісусу Христу!
The Holy Mother and Great Church of Christ of Constantinople regards the Ukrainian nation and people as Her precious sons and daughters, born from the baptismal waters that flowed through the banks of the Dnepr River. From the days of our brilliant predecessor, Saint Photios the Great, the love of the Mother Church for the pious Christians of your lands has never abated.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate recognizes the difficult challenges facing the blessed Ukrainian people today. Furthermore, it acknowledges the deep scars and open wounds from the grievous Holodomor, the World Wars of the 20th century, and the pressure on a nation emerging from decades of totalitarian tyranny.
This is why we take this opportunity, on the celebration of our Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, to exhort all the pious Orthodox Christians of Ukraine that they maintain “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Eph. 4.3) The Kingdom of Christ is not of this world, for as He Himself told Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18.36) In the “triumph” that is foreshadowed on Palm Sunday, we celebrate the victory of love over hatred, of truth over falsehood, and of life over death.
We believe that the goodwill of the Ukrainian people will succeed in bringing healing and ultimate reconciliation. As for the enduring ecclesiastical controversies, we know that by the Grace of God and the agreement of the Heads of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church will be convened by us here in the year 2016. It is our wholehearted hope and prayer that, by that time, all divisions may be healed for the sake of the unity of the Ukrainian people.
We encourage you to place your faith in the words of the Psalmist: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the hem of his garments; as the dew of Aermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Sion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” (Ps. 133)
Beloved children of Ukraine, from our Apostolic and Patriarchal Throne, we paternally exhort you to face the trial of your current hour with steadfast hearts and brave minds. On this Palm Sunday, allow the words of the Holy Apostle to fill you, for “the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4.7) May the God of mercy and all consolation save and bless Ukraine, Orthodoxy, and all His people. Amen.
At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Palm Sunday 2014
+ Bartholomew of Constantinople
Erkebiskop Job æret Kristi tornekrone
Fredag 28 mars, deltok Erkebiskop Job i æringen av den hellige Kristi tornekrone i Notre-Dame katedralen i Paris. Eksarkatets kor fra vår bispekirke Alexander Nevski katedralen samt mange prester og ortodokse troende deltok. Bilder fra gudstjenesten finnes her. Flickr .
Fredag 28 mars, deltok Erkebiskop Job i æringen av den hellige Kristi tornekrone i Notre-Dame katedralen i Paris. Eksarkatets kor fra vår bispekirke Alexander Nevski katedralen samt mange prester og ortodokse troende deltok. Bilder fra gudstjenesten finnes her. Flickr .
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