27 September 2025
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today, the Holy Orthodox Church performs the solemn and ancient rite of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. In the eyes of all the people, a hierarch raises high the Honourable Wood of the Cross, blessing all the cardinal directions therewith. A Cross adorned with flowers is put in the middle of Orthodox churches for veneration by the faithful. It is not just a beautiful rite but a living preaching that the Cross is the centre of our life, our history, and the entire creation. It connects heaven and earth, time and eternity, the past, present and future.
Through the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, man fell by eating the forbidden fruit. Through the Wood of the Cross, mankind was saved: the fiery sword of the Cherubim was withdrawn, and paradise was again opened to everyone seeking salvation. In the Cross is our victory over sin, the devil, and death. To the vain and indifferent world, it is insanity, 'foolishness', as the Apostle Paul wrote; but to the faithful, it is the power of God and a weapon against all evil.
History shows: the Lord has helped Christian states and Orthodox peoples by the power of the Cross multiple times. It was so when the Equal-of-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, after seeing a sign of the Cross and the words, 'In this sign thou shalt conquer', in the sky, defeated his enemies and started a multi-centennial Christian empire. It was so later as well — when peoples preserved their faith and freedom even amidst most difficult trials under the sign of the Cross.
Today, we live in an era of a new battle between 'honour' and 'the unclean'. In our very eyes, the authorities are persecuting the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church ever more fiercely: they deprive her of churches and monasteries, trampling laws, try to cease her very existence, open far-fetched cases against hierarchs and clergymen. It has reached the point when shepherds called to stand in prayer before the Throne of God are ever more often taken away from the chancel and mobilised into military ranks — contrary to common sense. All of it is happening in a country where the people have preserved Holy Orthodoxy for centuries. And today, the Cross of Christ is again exalted as the sign under which the people of God gather together, so as to fortify and guide us.
The Cross of the Lord is not a symbol of weakness but a sign of His victory and our common faithfulness. If we want true peace and protection from on high, we must bow before Him —not nominally, not ritually, but wholeheartedly and sincerely. We must humble ourselves, repent, renounce false paths, and become truly faithful to Christ and His Church. Only then will the Lord bless our people with long and lasting peace, and no power of darkness will overcome us.
Dear brothers and sisters!
On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, let us remember: the Cross itself is an embrace of crucified Christ, Who extended His hands to save the whole world. Let our hearts be open for His love as well. Let the invincible power of the Cross of the Lord become a weapon of peace and invincible trophy for us.
Happy Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord!
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today, the Holy Orthodox Church performs the solemn and ancient rite of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. In the eyes of all the people, a hierarch raises high the Honourable Wood of the Cross, blessing all the cardinal directions therewith. A Cross adorned with flowers is put in the middle of Orthodox churches for veneration by the faithful. It is not just a beautiful rite but a living preaching that the Cross is the centre of our life, our history, and the entire creation. It connects heaven and earth, time and eternity, the past, present and future.
Through the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, man fell by eating the forbidden fruit. Through the Wood of the Cross, mankind was saved: the fiery sword of the Cherubim was withdrawn, and paradise was again opened to everyone seeking salvation. In the Cross is our victory over sin, the devil, and death. To the vain and indifferent world, it is insanity, 'foolishness', as the Apostle Paul wrote; but to the faithful, it is the power of God and a weapon against all evil.
History shows: the Lord has helped Christian states and Orthodox peoples by the power of the Cross multiple times. It was so when the Equal-of-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, after seeing a sign of the Cross and the words, 'In this sign thou shalt conquer', in the sky, defeated his enemies and started a multi-centennial Christian empire. It was so later as well — when peoples preserved their faith and freedom even amidst most difficult trials under the sign of the Cross.
Today, we live in an era of a new battle between 'honour' and 'the unclean'. In our very eyes, the authorities are persecuting the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church ever more fiercely: they deprive her of churches and monasteries, trampling laws, try to cease her very existence, open far-fetched cases against hierarchs and clergymen. It has reached the point when shepherds called to stand in prayer before the Throne of God are ever more often taken away from the chancel and mobilised into military ranks — contrary to common sense. All of it is happening in a country where the people have preserved Holy Orthodoxy for centuries. And today, the Cross of Christ is again exalted as the sign under which the people of God gather together, so as to fortify and guide us.
The Cross of the Lord is not a symbol of weakness but a sign of His victory and our common faithfulness. If we want true peace and protection from on high, we must bow before Him —not nominally, not ritually, but wholeheartedly and sincerely. We must humble ourselves, repent, renounce false paths, and become truly faithful to Christ and His Church. Only then will the Lord bless our people with long and lasting peace, and no power of darkness will overcome us.
Dear brothers and sisters!
On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, let us remember: the Cross itself is an embrace of crucified Christ, Who extended His hands to save the whole world. Let our hearts be open for His love as well. Let the invincible power of the Cross of the Lord become a weapon of peace and invincible trophy for us.
Happy Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord!
All related news Today, the Holy Orthodox Church performs the solemn and ancient rite of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. In the eyes of all the people, a hierarch raises high the Honourable Wood of the Cross, blessing all the cardinal directions therewith. A Cross adorned with flowers is put in the middle of Orthodox churches for veneration by the faithful. It is not just a beautiful rite but a living preaching that the Cross is the centre of our life, our history, and the entire creation. It connects heaven and earth, time and eternity, the past, present and future.
Through the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, man fell by eating the forbidden fruit. Through the Wood of the Cross, mankind was saved: the fiery sword of the Cherubim was withdrawn, and paradise was again opened to everyone seeking salvation. In the Cross is our victory over sin, the devil, and death. To the vain and indifferent world, it is insanity, 'foolishness', as the Apostle Paul wrote; but to the faithful, it is the power of God and a weapon against all evil.
History shows: the Lord has helped Christian states and Orthodox peoples by the power of the Cross multiple times. It was so when the Equal-of-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, after seeing a sign of the Cross and the words, 'In this sign thou shalt conquer', in the sky, defeated his enemies and started a multi-centennial Christian empire. It was so later as well — when peoples preserved their faith and freedom even amidst most difficult trials under the sign of the Cross.
Today, we live in an era of a new battle between 'honour' and 'the unclean'. In our very eyes, the authorities are persecuting the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church ever more fiercely: they deprive her of churches and monasteries, trampling laws, try to cease her very existence, open far-fetched cases against hierarchs and clergymen. It has reached the point when shepherds called to stand in prayer before the Throne of God are ever more often taken away from the chancel and mobilised into military ranks — contrary to common sense. All of it is happening in a country where the people have preserved Holy Orthodoxy for centuries. And today, the Cross of Christ is again exalted as the sign under which the people of God gather together, so as to fortify and guide us.
The Cross of the Lord is not a symbol of weakness but a sign of His victory and our common faithfulness. If we want true peace and protection from on high, we must bow before Him —not nominally, not ritually, but wholeheartedly and sincerely. We must humble ourselves, repent, renounce false paths, and become truly faithful to Christ and His Church. Only then will the Lord bless our people with long and lasting peace, and no power of darkness will overcome us.
Dear brothers and sisters!
On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, let us remember: the Cross itself is an embrace of crucified Christ, Who extended His hands to save the whole world. Let our hearts be open for His love as well. Let the invincible power of the Cross of the Lord become a weapon of peace and invincible trophy for us.
Happy Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord!
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today, the Holy Orthodox Church performs the solemn and ancient rite of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. In the eyes of all the people, a hierarch raises high the Honourable Wood of the Cross, blessing all the cardinal directions therewith. A Cross adorned with flowers is put in the middle of Orthodox churches for veneration by the faithful. It is not just a beautiful rite but a living preaching that the Cross is the centre of our life, our history, and the entire creation. It connects heaven and earth, time and eternity, the past, present and future.
Through the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, man fell by eating the forbidden fruit. Through the Wood of the Cross, mankind was saved: the fiery sword of the Cherubim was withdrawn, and paradise was again opened to everyone seeking salvation. In the Cross is our victory over sin, the devil, and death. To the vain and indifferent world, it is insanity, 'foolishness', as the Apostle Paul wrote; but to the faithful, it is the power of God and a weapon against all evil.
History shows: the Lord has helped Christian states and Orthodox peoples by the power of the Cross multiple times. It was so when the Equal-of-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, after seeing a sign of the Cross and the words, 'In this sign thou shalt conquer', in the sky, defeated his enemies and started a multi-centennial Christian empire. It was so later as well — when peoples preserved their faith and freedom even amidst most difficult trials under the sign of the Cross.
Today, we live in an era of a new battle between 'honour' and 'the unclean'. In our very eyes, the authorities are persecuting the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church ever more fiercely: they deprive her of churches and monasteries, trampling laws, try to cease her very existence, open far-fetched cases against hierarchs and clergymen. It has reached the point when shepherds called to stand in prayer before the Throne of God are ever more often taken away from the chancel and mobilised into military ranks — contrary to common sense. All of it is happening in a country where the people have preserved Holy Orthodoxy for centuries. And today, the Cross of Christ is again exalted as the sign under which the people of God gather together, so as to fortify and guide us.
The Cross of the Lord is not a symbol of weakness but a sign of His victory and our common faithfulness. If we want true peace and protection from on high, we must bow before Him —not nominally, not ritually, but wholeheartedly and sincerely. We must humble ourselves, repent, renounce false paths, and become truly faithful to Christ and His Church. Only then will the Lord bless our people with long and lasting peace, and no power of darkness will overcome us.
Dear brothers and sisters!
On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, let us remember: the Cross itself is an embrace of crucified Christ, Who extended His hands to save the whole world. Let our hearts be open for His love as well. Let the invincible power of the Cross of the Lord become a weapon of peace and invincible trophy for us.
Happy Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord!
