Millions of Greeks celebrated Orthodox Easter attending Resurrection night services in Churches across the country in an atmosphere of reverence and solemnity.
The Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos II presided over the Paschal Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens with the head of the Greek state President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, in attendance. The service was co-officiated by bishops Epiphanius and Paul.
Amidst the presence of hundreds of faithful, the triumphant chant of “Christ is Risen” was chanted, followed by the Resurrectional Divine Liturgy led by Archbishop Ieronymos II.
Among those attending the Resurrection service were representatives of the government, the president of PASOK-KINAL (Movement for Change), Nikos Androulakis, representatives of the opposition, the Armed Forces, the Security Forces, and Local Government.
Archbishop Ieronymos II read his Easter messages, which was also read across the country in all Greek churches:
“Christ is Risen, my brethren,
and behold, all things are filled with light, both heaven and earth and the nethermost regions!
The Resurrection of Christ has shown us what man and creation will be in the End. And we can rejoice in advance for this, by participating in the mystery of the Church.
However, History is still bound by evil, violence, death, and irrationality. These are the consequences of Adam’s choice, who, instead of turning his love to God, fell into love for himself.
Violence did not keep Christ in the tomb. His Resurrection was the result of His communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit. It was a matter of relationship and communion. Problems are not solved by power and authority but by freedom and love.
Christ is Risen.”
On Easter Sunday Greeks traditionally gather and roast a whole lamb on a spit and crack red eggs after the end of the Paschal Divine Liturgy.
The tradition of the whole roast lamb is rooted in the Jewish festival of Passover, which means passage. The Jews celebrate their passage through the Red Sea and their liberation from Pharaonic slavery.
According to the Scriptures, God sent a message to Moses to inform the enslaved Jews to “slaughter a lamb, and to paint their doors with its blood so that the Angel of Death would know who is Jewish and who is not.”
