The anniversary of the Baptism of Russia was celebrated in Kiev

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine served the Divine Liturgy on the square in front of the Dormition Cathedral church in Kiev on July 28, 2021, on the day of memory of the Holy Apostolic Prince Vladimir, on the occasion of the 1033rd anniversary of the Baptism of Russia.

The hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church served with guests from the Patriarchate of Antioch, the Serbian Patriarchate and the Orthodox Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia.

After reading the Word of God, His Beatitude addressed thousands of worshipers who arrived in Kiev from all over Ukraine, talking about the importance of the Holy Prince Vladimir: - We will be worthy because we are descendants of the Holy Apostolic Baptist of Russia not only in body but also in spirit. In order to achieve that, we need to keep the commandments of love for God and neighbor. Love for God is manifested when we pray, when we fast, when we try to do good deeds, when we abstain from sin, while our love for our neighbor is that we accept our neighbor as he is ... That is the first degree of love. If we don't like him, we shouldn't judge him, we should pray for him and ask God to help him improve. This is love for one's neighbor, said Metropolitan Onuphry, who prayed for the end of the epidemic, strength for doctors and recovery of the sick.

The Serbian Patriarchate was represented at the festivities by the envoys of His Holiness Porfirije, the Serbian Patriarch, Vicar Bishops Stefan of Remesiana and Jerotej of Toplica who read the greeting letter of the primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Source: church.ua