Department for External Church Relations
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Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol: we should remain faithful to the canonical Church of Ukraine
Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, on the air of the news channel “Pershiy nezalezhniy” (First Independent), stressed that it is necessary to remain faithful to the canonical Church of Ukraine headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy.
Metropolitan Athanasios assured the audience that they in Cyprus prayed for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Our care for the people is a concern that people may remain in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church”, he noted and stressed that the head of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church is His Beatitude Onufriy, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine: “He, whom we recognized before and recognized now”.
“We should not look at some grievances and concerns; we should see martyrs, their witness, which speaks of the faith of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This witness helps us overcome all temptations arising in the Church. And we should have patience and remain faithful to our Church”, Metropolitan Athanasios said.
Commenting on the church situation in Ukraine, His Eminence Athanasios also pointed out that the creation of the “OCU” involving persecutions against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church do not bring joy.
“From the very beginning, I felt bad about it”, the metropolitan said, “I regret about what is happening now in Ukraine. But we should understand that with time it will pass. Indeed, all what is connected with the “tomos” and “autocephaly” is not connected with God. Ultimately, God will put everything right and bring back to their places. We should understand that there are church canons and uncanonical bishops cannot be recognized as canonical”.
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