Russian President
Vladimir Putin on Sunday wished Orthodox Christians and all other Russian
citizens a happy Easter, the Kremlin’s press service said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday wished Orthodox Christians and all citizens of Russia a happy Easter, as the country commemorated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Kremlin’s press service said.
"The great holiday
of Easter evokes the best feelings in the hearts of millions
of believers, unites them around the everlasting spiritual values
of Orthodoxy and the centuries-old historical and cultural traditions
of our people," Putin said, as quoted by the press service.
Putin noted the role of the Russian Orthodox Church
"in matters of education and charity, strengthening the moral
foundations of society and the education of the younger
generation."
The president also commended Patriarch Kirill on the holiday, noting his role as the head of the
Russian Orthodox Church in the public life of the country. This
year's Easter celebrations did not "bypass" Russian soldiers
in Syria. On Easter Eve a festive mass took place in one of the
Syrian makeshift temples close to the Russian airbase. This is the first
time that a Russian Orthodox Church bell chimed on Syrian soil
to celebrate Christ's resurrection.
Orthodox
Christians celebrate Easter, the commemoration of Christ's resurrection,
every spring.
Usually Easter falls on the first Sunday
after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox,
as established by the First Ecumenical Council in 325 A.D.
However, Catholics and Protestant denominations have slightly modified this practice, and usually celebrate Easter on a different Sunday. All Orthodox churches hold a candle-lit service on the night before Easter morning.
Source:
Sputnik News 01-05-2016
