Department for External Church Relations
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Archbishop Abel of Lublin: The schism can only be overcome through repentance
On 20 January 2019, after the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in the city of Borispol, Archbishop Abel of Lublin and Chelm expressed support to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its Primate His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine, the UOC Information and Education Department reports.
“The Lord has vouchsafed me today to participate with you in the Divine Liturgy, celebrated by His Beatitude the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Vladyka Onufry. I have the honour of knowing you, Your Beatitude, for over thirty years,” the hierarch of the Polish Orthodox Church said.
Archbishop Abel also conveyed to all those present greetings from His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland.
“Throughout its history, the Orthodox Church in Poland endured many ordeals. And today, standing at God’s Altar as a Synaxis of saints are martyrs of my diocese, hieromartyrs of the land of Chelm and Lublin. That is why, perhaps, we better than anyone understand the current situation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” the Polish hierarch said.
His Eminence also emphasized that the Polish Orthodox Church was and would always be firm and steadfast in defending the truth. “Always and everywhere we will say that the schism can only be overcome through repentance, through fasting. We believe that the deep prayer of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry, will be heard and that after sufferings the joy of the Paschal triumph will come,” Archbishop Abel added, “We, in Poland, will be praying for the victory of Paschal joy to resound with triumph in our hearts.”
“It will be a joy not only for the Ukrainian people who understand the meaning of ecclesiastical discipline, but also for all the Local Churches,” Archbishop Abel added, “I wholeheartedly wish this moment of our shared Orthodox joy to come as soon as possible. May the Most Holy Theotokos cover all her children with her omophorion. May our prayer reach her so that she could bring our supplications to her Only-Begotten Son. And we are praying to the Most Holy Lady, saying, ‘Accept the prayers of your servants and deliver us from every need and sorrow’.”
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