Today is Good Friday, the most solemn day of Holy Week. The Orthodox Church commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, His descent from the Cross, and His burial.

On this Great Friday, the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Shio, will conduct the Royal Hours, Vespers, and the Rite of the Descent from the Cross at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

No Divine Liturgy is celebrated on Good Friday, for according to the Gospel, the Lord offered Himself as a sacrifice for the redemption of humanity from sin. In its place, the Royal Hours are observed, during which the Passion narrative is read from the Gospels.

The faithful mark the day by dyeing eggs red, a tradition rooted in the blood shed on the Cross. Paska, the Easter bread, is also prepared, as according to the Gospel, Jesus Christ’s crucifixion occurred during the Jewish Passover.