Pascha Message of the Primate of the True Orthodox Church of Russia

Paschal Message of the Primate of the True Orthodox Church of Russia
His Holiness †SERAPHIM,

Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia,

Primate of the True Orthodox Church

Archpastors, pastors, deacons, monastics

and to all the faithful children of the True Orthodox Church

“See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we

to be called and to be children of God.”

(1 John 3:1)

Your Graces the Archpastors,

all-honorable presbyters and deacons,

God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!

CHRIST IS RISEN!

In the radiance of the gracious light emanating from the Holy Sepulcher, heed this eternal, victorious, and life-giving voice. With these words, filled with inexpressible joy, we greet the entire universe today. The angelic message proclaimed to the myrrh-bearing women has for two millennia trampled the gates of hell and opened the doors of paradise to us. Death, where is your sting? Hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and life triumphs eternally!

On this Holy Night, we especially keenly feel ourselves to be children of God, heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. For by His Resurrection, the Savior granted us freedom from sin and corruption, adopting us as sons of the Heavenly Father.

I heartily congratulate all of you, my beloved in the Lord archpastors, pastors, deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, and all the faithful children of our Church, on the Great and Saving Feast of Easter!

In a time of severe trials and historical upheavals, the Lord has ordained us to bear the light of True Orthodoxy. Now, as the world plunges into the darkness of unbelief, moral decay, and militant atheism, we have been entrusted with a special mission. The True Orthodox Church is called to be a spiritual ark of salvation not only for Russia, but for all of World Orthodoxy. We preserve the purity of the dogmas of the Holy Fathers, not betraying them to the spirit of this age. We stand guard over the canons, denouncing the heresies of globalism and modernism, which encroach upon the foundations of the Church of Christ. Just as Christ conquered the world, so too are we called to bring the victory of Truth to the world, setting an example of sincere faith and sacrificial commitment to holy ideals.

Recognizing the full responsibility for the flock entrusted to us, we unwaveringly serve in a ministry of love and mercy. Charity and assistance to others are the living embodiment of our faith. In a time when many people need support and comfort, the parishes and monasteries of our Church open their doors to the suffering, the hungry, and the disadvantaged. We are obligated to be not only the salt of the earth but also the light of the world, actively helping those who find themselves in difficult life situations, regardless of their origins or beliefs. This is our Christian duty, commanded by the Savior Himself.

This year marks 15 years since we found a sister Church, establishing fraternal canonical communion with the Greek True Orthodox Church (the Synod of Metropolitan Elder Angelos), now headed by His Beatitude Cherubim, Metropolitan of Viotia and Pamphylia. This communion has now grown into a vast global family of True Orthodox Churches—the Universal Holy Synaxis. Is this not a miracle of the Lord? All these years, the True Orthodox Churches have striven for unity, while disunity and discord reign in world Orthodoxy, and the Tunic of the Lord is being torn apart in one way or another. And I am infinitely glad that through our common prayers, True Orthodoxy is gaining ever greater light, strength, and grandeur, steadfastly following the revealed Providence of God.

We now turn our special attention and prayers to the battlefield. With great pain in our hearts, but also with firm faith in the righteousness of our cause, we look upon the events unfolding in our Fatherland. We pledge our unconditional support to the Russian military, fearlessly fighting on the borders of our Motherland, demonstrating truly heroic feats in a special military operation aimed at protecting the population, historical truth, and the spiritual foundations of Holy Rus’ from the onslaught of the forces of global evil. We prayerfully strengthen and stand by the authorities of the Russian Federation, recognizing that preserving the peace and sovereignty of the country is the undeniable guarantee of the survival of our civilization.

In this confrontation, the battle between Good and evil is more clearly revealed than ever. We believe and know that the Victory of Good over evil is inevitable, for Christ has already conquered the world. His Resurrection is the guarantee of our coming victory. The warriors who laid down their lives for their friends are like the martyrs of the first centuries, washing away the sins of the world with their blood and inheriting Eternal Life. May their memory be eternal and may they rest in the Kingdom of Heaven!

Let us not forget, dear ones, that we live in an eschatological era. The signs of the Apocalypse are multiplying day by day: wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, pestilence, and, most terrifying of all, a decline in love and faith. We have witnessed the outright persecution by the Armenian government of one of the most ancient churches in the world—the Armenian Apostolic Church and its Primate. It is with pain in our hearts that we observe the persecution of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. We are horrified by what is happening today in the Middle East and are deeply saddened by the news that services have been suspended during Lent at the main Christian church in Jerusalem, the most sacred Christian site in the world. But even in these sorrowful times, we must not despair. On the contrary, all of this calls us to special spiritual sobriety and fervent prayer. Let us prepare ourselves to meet the Bridegroom, keeping our lamps lit, so that we can enter His Chamber with joy.

Beloved fathers, brothers, and sisters in the Lord! The Lord’s Pascha calls us to unity, to the spiritual mobilization of all our strength. Let us be united in faith, hope, and love. Let us be strong in spirit, like our pious ancestors, who did not disgrace the Russian land during difficult times, heroically defending the Fatherland, endlessly loving God and their people, and always affirming: Holy Rus’, preserve the Orthodox Faith!

Once again I greet you all with a joyful and truly divine exclamation, which loosens the bonds of sin and opens the heavens:

CHRIST IS RISEN!

By the Grace of God, Most Holy †SERAPHIM,

Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia,

Primate of the True Orthodox Church,

Chairman of the Universal Holy Synaxis

True Orthodox Churches

Pascha of Christ, 2026.

The capital city of Moscow