In 2025, the Catholic and Orthodox churches celebrate Easter on April 20. It is more joyful when we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ together. This is what Father Stefan from the Orthodox Church "St. Nicholas" and parish priest Father Walter Gorra from the Catholic Church "St. Paul of the Cross" in Ruse told BTA.

The two churches in this Danube city, built in the 19th century, stand across from each other, separated only by a street. Since 2001, Father Stefan and Father Walter have started a tradition—when Easter coincides for both Orthodox and Catholics, the faithful and both priests come out at midnight in front of the two churches to greet each other for Christ’s Resurrection. They note that they have received permission from their respective churches to do this.

"We don't claim to be revolutionaries, we don't claim to be unique, and that's not what matters. Since 2001, this will be the eighth time we greet each other at midnight when we together proclaim: ''Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!", said Father Stefan. Father Walter added that ''It is much more festive when we all celebrate on the same day what is central to the Christian faith''. He emphasizes that Christ’s Resurrection must have meaning for every person’s life: ''It lifts a person from the earthly to the heavenly. If we don’t understand this, if we don’t believe, then our life is just a circle that lasts only as many years as we are given in this world—and that’s where it all ends.”