"We mentally go back to the time when, with the united efforts of countless known and unknown heroes, God gave us freedom again. We still keep the memory of these warriors today. Their example and self-sacrifice inspire and oblige us to keep freedom and independence together with peace", the Patriarch said.

"Freedom is what distinguishes us as the crown of God's creation. To preserve and uphold it means to keep the image of God in us. Let everyone, according to their strength and abilities, open their hearts to all brothers and sisters who suffer and are far from their homes due to the escalating war in Ukraine and help everyone who is in need," the patriarch urges.