The OCU is lifting prayers for the prompt return of all our soldiers who have been captured by the enemy, wishing for their safe reunification with their homeland, families, and loved ones.
His statement was published on the official website of the OCU.
"On the occasion of the Easter of Christ, the Bright Resurrection of our Savior, which reminds us of the liberation of all humanity from the bondage of evil, as the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, I want to add my voice of support to the voice of His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, to the voices of other religious and secular leaders who are now calling on the Ukrainian authorities and the Russian authorities to coordinate a full exchange of prisoners of war - according to the formula "all for all". May the Lord bless this good cause with success and help all those who will work to implement it! Our Church always prays for all our soldiers who have found themselves in enemy captivity to return to their homeland, to their relatives and loved ones, and for this to happen as quickly as possible. We do not lose hope because the power of prayer is effective, and the Lord hears it," Metropolitan Epifaniy noted.