Hilsen til folkekirken fra Ephiphanius, metropolit af Kyiv

Stilet til: Biskoppen, Københavns Stift, Danmark

Your Eminence, 
Personally, and on behalf of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine I heartily congratulate you on the joyful holiday of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! 

Regrettably, this year again the people of Ukraine are made to celebrate the  
Easter holiday amid the pain and suffering caused and continued to be caused by the war started over nine years ago against us by Russia. Defenders of Ukraine die every day at the front, and civilians suffer and die from terrorist shelling by Russia. 

The military and hostages captured by the occupiers are suffering in Russian captivity. In the temporarily occupied territories, the Russian authorities persecute the citizens of our state. Children are taken en masse from the occupied territories to Russia. 

However, in the midst of these sufferings, the faith in God, in the triumph of  
good, helps us resist evil. The Resurrection of Christ convinces us that no force can extinguish the light of truth. And this gives us hope for achieving a just peace for Ukraine, for victory and de-occupation, for post-war recovery.

We believe that thanks to the unity of people of good will, thanks to prayer  
and actions, the evil of war will be defeated. We are grateful to you personally for praying for peace for Ukraine, for assisting in the provision of humanitarian aid to victims of Russian aggression, and for taking care of the needs of the refugees.

On the occasion of the holiday, I wish you good health, increased strength,  
fruitful service to God and the Church! 

From a wounded but indomitable Kyiv, I convey my heartfelt congratulations  
on the Lord's Easter and share the news, which sounds every year as an incentive to a feat, to work, to moving forward along the path of truth and goodness: 

Christ is Risen! 

With brotherly love,

METROPOLITAN OF KYIV AND ALL UKRAINE 
PRIMATE OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF UKRAINE