On Great Thursday Primate of UOC raises prayers for prisoners of war

On April 13, on Holy and Great Thursday, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine led the Divine Liturgy at the Refectory Church of St. Anthony and Theodosius of the Holy Dormition of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, reports the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

After reading the Holy Gospel, the Primate addressed the flock with the word of the sermon. His Beatitude reminded believers of the evangelical events that are remembered on Holy Thursday, explained the necessity of humility in spiritual life and the importance of the Sacrament of the Eucharist: "We receive the Body of Christ and drink His Blood, because it is the pledge, the leaven for eternity".

The archpastor especially prayed for the Ukrainian military, who are in captivity.

During the Liturgy, a special prayer was offered for peace in Ukraine.

On Holy Thursday, the Church recalls several important events from the life of our Savior: the Last Supper, in which the Lord established the Sacrament of the Eucharist and washed the disciples' feet, giving us an example of humility and love for others, the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane and the treacherous kiss of Judas by which he gave the Divine Teacher to suffering and death.

Read also

ROCOR Priest Reflects on Trip to Capitol Hill

Archpriest Victor Boldewskul participated in the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco's Day of Action to raise awareness about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Hundreds of Chinese Christians Arrested in Pre-Christmas Crackdown

Hundreds of Chinese Christians face spending Christmas in detention after authorities launched a sweeping pre-holiday crackdown on churches under Beijing’s campaign to control religious life.

Ukraine Adviser: UOC Not Banned, but Offered a 'Choice' of Jurisdictions

A Ukrainian presidential adviser said the UOC is not banned but pressured to choose between joining the OCU, submitting to Constantinople, or remaining unregistered, while dismissing international concerns as propaganda.

Indiana Reports 98% Drop in Abortions Under Stricter Law

Indiana’s latest health report shows a 98% drop in reported abortions under stricter laws, though dozens still occurred under legal exceptions and concerns persist about unreported pill abortions.

Armenian Apostolic Church Pushes Back on Political Encroachment

The Armenian Apostolic Church plans to appeal to international bodies to resist government interference and defend its clergy and sacred relics.

Attempted Takeover at Armenian Etchmiadzin Cathedral Thwarted by Faithful

Supporters of Armenian PM Pashinyan attempted to storm Etchmiadzin Cathedral amid calls for the Catholicos’s resignation but were blocked by parishioners and security.