Primate of OCU greets Zelensky on his election and offers Easter greetings

Metropolitan Epifaniy congratulated Volodymyr Zelensky on his election to the post of President and on the feast of Easter. This is reported by the official site of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

We bring to your attention the full text of the greeting:

"On my own part and on behalf of the Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, I heartily congratulate you, your relatives and friends, on the Savior's Passover, the Bright Feast of the Resurrection of Christ.

This year's celebration of the major feast of the Orthodox Christians coincides in time with the release of the results of the presidential elections in Ukraine, in which the Ukrainian people elected you the next Head of the Ukrainian State in a democratic way.

Congratulating you on such high confidence, I wish you God's help in fulfilling the complex and responsible duties that are assigned to you as Head of State, Supreme Commander and Guarantor of the Constitution.

The common task for the society and the state is to preserve the independence and unity of Ukraine, state sovereignty, to pursue the European development path that is the choice of the Ukrainian people, which has been enshrined in the Constitution. Equally important tasks are the pursuit of reforms aimed at economic growth, the fight against corruption, the achievement of justice in the judiciary and others.

For the sixth year in a row, Ukraine is countering foreign aggression. This means that apart from the ordinary daily routine of every head of state, you have a special responsibility to protect our freedom from aggression by Russia, to resist its daily, military, diplomatic, economic, informational encroachment on our state, to bring Ukraine closer to victory and restoration of territorial integrity, to achieve a just peace.

Together with the religious community of Ukraine, we want the Ukrainian state to develop in the perspective of the traditional values ​​of our nation's moral and spiritual values, to promote the institution of the family, to support responsible fatherhood, to encourage charity.

The local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which at the time of joy and in times of trials has always been and will be with the Ukrainian people, has consistently supported and will support all the constructive steps of the Head of State aimed at achieving these diverse important tasks.

As the Local Church, whose autocephaly is approved by the Tomos of the Ecumenical Patriarch, we also wish to further strengthen the unity of the Ukrainian Orthodoxy and thereby contribute to the unification of Ukrainian society.

I hope that in the office of President of Ukraine you will guarantee the equal treatment by the state of different denominations, set forth in the Constitution, as well as the legal right of believers and religious communities to freely choose their jurisdictional affiliation.

Therefore, rejoicing with you on the occasion of Easter, I wish you good health, strength, inspiration, all the blessings of God – spiritual and earthly needs. May the Risen Lord bless all your good deeds – for the good of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.”