Department for External Church Relations
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His Holiness Patriarch Kirill prays for Metropolitan Onufry and believers in Ukraine
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill in his Christmas interview to ‘Russia” TV channel announced on December 22 expressed his concern over events in the village of Ptichya and underscored that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was the only force that unites people in Ukraine.
‘We have worrying hearts about the current events in Ukraine as we see these terrifying seizures of churches. In the village of Ptichya in Rovno region several women and two priests have been sitting in the church for some days and nights without water and food huddling up to one another for warmth as electricity was switched off while the roaring crowd outside demanded to throw out these people from the church building and give it to another religious group which we call schismatic,’ His Holiness said.
‘This kind of policy furthers division of the Ukrainian people, and those who do not want to experience anything similar to what happened in the village of Ptichya will fight tooth and nail against the coming to their home of the authorities indulgent to the seize of churches,’ the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church explained.
According to Patriarch Kirill, there is almost none who works for the sake of unity in Ukraine. In particular it pertains to those proclaiming this idea as their goal louder than others, while their actions spur the estrangement of the Ukrainians from one another.
‘The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is my only hope as she is the confessor that really unites people living in the east, west, north or south of the country, humbly but courageously speaking the truth and steering people to unity,’ His Holiness underscored.
‘I pray for His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry, bishops, clergy and all the faithful. I believe that Ukraine will hold out and be a prosperous country, peaceful, trouble-free and friendly with its neighbors,’ the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said in conclusion.
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