Bishops of Three Denominations in Odesa Address Residents on Christmas

Bishops of three Christian denominations of Odesa, Bishop Bronislav Bernatskyi of Odesa and Simferopol of the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop Vasyl (Ivasiuk) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Bishop Uland Schpalinger of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine  jointly addressed the residents of Odesa and all people of good will on occasion of Christmas. The hierarchs stressed that the important things are the faith and intention to receive the Christmas peace as a gift of God rather than differences in the Christian traditions of the celebration.

“We jointly address all the people of good will with a request: celebrate the Birth of Christ and remember the words of Isayah the Prophet that God is with us! Celebrate it joyfully and gratefully as a spiritual feast and a feast of the faith. Celebrate it in churches and the family,” reads the address in particular.