Odessa clergy: For sake of Easter in church, we sacrifice cross procession

Deacon Andrey Palchuk and Archpriest Maximian Pogorelovsky. Photo: a screenshot of the video of the YouTube channel of the Odessa Eparchy

Archpriest Maksimian Pogorelovsky, a cleric of the Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in Odessa, said on the “Q&A” programme that the Odessa Eparchy regretted the postponement of the religious procession, but they did it in order to celebrate Easter in the church.

“Today, out of love for people, we are postponing the cross procession to celebrate Easter in the church,” Father Maximian said during the “Q&A” programme. "If we were guided by ambitions, the religious procession would probably take place, but we, out of love for people, are postponing the coss procession to Bright Week in order to celebrate Easter in the church, as you wanted to celebrate it last year."

Instead of the cross procession, the priest advised to do acts of mercy and help people in need on this day.

“Let us all get together, 40-50 thousand people, and help our neighbours and those who really need it. Today, children knocked on my door and asked me to eat, this is the real situation of people in our country today,” the priest added.

As previously reported, the cross procession in the Odessa Eparchy was postponed to Bright Week.

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