Official documents

Christ is Risen!

Beloved in Our Lord fathers, brethren and sisters!

How deep the meaning, what wealth of substance, what bright joy are in these words.  They do away with all sorrows, grievances, adversities, deprivations; they give life, joy and comfort.

Christ is Risen!  If Christ did not rise, then vain, unavailing would be our faith, says St. Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 15,17), useless would be our reliance - hope in Christ and eternal salvation, but Christ rose -  by that showed and proved, that He is the true God- Son of God, that His teaching, that he preached, is true and that our faith is true.  He promised, that on the third day after death he would rise from the dead and He kept His word, resurrected with a human body; therefore we all will resurrect in time, He - is the first from the dead and we, who believe in Him, will come to life, and if we are of Christ, if we will keep unshaken our Orthodox faith, if we will observe his commandements and will keep ourselves true to His Holy Church till the end,- we will be with Him.

Paschal Epistle of His Grace Anastasy, bishop of Vladivostok and the Far East, Administrator of the Eurasian District of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.