Kiev, July 29, 2015
According to the unofficial sources, the number of people participating in the procession of the cross was much more than given in the official reports. The estimated number of participants, according to the unofficial data, is about 100,000.
The day before the celebration of the Baptism of Russia (Rus’) and the 1000th anniversary of repose of the Holy Grand Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All the Ukraine, following a festal prayer service in the Vladimirskaya Gorka park, headed a solemn cross procession through the Kiev central streets.
Hierarchs and clergy of all dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate along with more than 20,000 Orthodox believers from all over Ukraine took part in the procession together with His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry.
“This procession of the cross is an outstanding event, since around 20,000 worshippers are participating in it – Kiev residents and pilgrims from different corners of the Ukraine,” Archpriest Nikolai Danilevich, deputy chairman of the UOC MP’s External Church Relations Department, relates. “It is very important that people living in various regions of the Ukraine have seen each other in this procession and are praying together for peace and unity in our country”.
It should be noted that the reliquary with the precious relics of the Holy Prince Vladimir with his icon as well as eight wonderworking icons of the Most Holy Theotokos, brought from various regions of the Ukraine for the anniversary celebrations, were carried from the Vladimirskaya Gorka park to the Holy Dormition Kiev Caves Lavra in the cross procession, reports the UOC MP’s official website.
