“Hear the Lamentations of the Faithful”

An Open Letter of Metropolitan Luke of Zaporozhye and Melitopol to His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia

    

To His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II,
Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia,
Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi,
Metropolitan of Pitsunda and Sukhumi-Abkhazia

Your Holiness and Beatitude!

I appeal to Your Holiness, the primate of the holy Georgian Orthodox Church, and to its Holy Synod and episcopate regarding the Church situation in Ukraine that has arisen as a result of the non-canonical interference of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the internal affairs of the self-governing Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the shameful act of recognizing the pseudo-religious schismatic organizations. The apotheosis of this lawlessness was the formation of the so-called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” on the basis of structures that had fallen away from the Mother Church, whose autocephaly the Patriarchate of Constantinople single-handedly established by issuing a tomos.

For the secular authorities, in their essence not only far from Orthodoxy but also hostile to it, this became an ideological justification for persecution against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, who is recognized by all the Local Churches. Within the shortest of time, anti-constitutional discriminatory laws were adopted, according to which the authorities are forcing us to change the legally-registered name of our Church. These laws also allow, through raider manipulation, the seizure of the property of our communities with the help of radical nationalist elements. In order to show their loyalty to the higher leaders, local authorities zealously try to please them, trying to transfer communities of the UOC to the newly-created religious-political chimera by persuasion or intimidation. All this is accompanied by hours-long streams of misinformation about our Ukrainian Orthodox Mother Church from all the outlets of mass degradation controlled by the authorities. Thanks to the actions of Patriarch Bartholomew, aimed at satisfying the political ambitions of the people in power today—who are afraid to lose it, our country has suffered yet another social rift.

Setting out the Ukrainian issue, I dare to note the unique spiritual unity of our unworthiness with Your Holiness and Beatitude, established through the succession and spiritual sonship of the ever-memorable ascetics, the Glinsk elders. The spiritual fruits of the Nativity of the Theotokos Glinsk Hermitage—its inhabitants, among whom it is especially necessary to remember St. Seraphim-Zenobius (Mazhugi), Andronik (Lukash), and Seraphim (Romantsov), who found refuge in Iberia—the wondrous lot of the Most-Holy Theotokos. The Glinsk saints are venerated with special love both in our Ukrainian land and in the great land of Sakartvelo entrusted to your guardianship, preserving the tradition and guarding the Orthodox faith. Their ascetic legacy is the heritage of all the fullness of our Orthodox Church.

The prayerful intercession at the throne of the Life-Giving Trinity of St. Seraphim-Zenobius (Mazhugi), who served your monastic tonsure and prophesied your bearing of the Patriarchal Cross, the podvigs and ministry of this exceptional elder-metropolitan, and his firmness in the faith are the sacred treasure of your holy Georgian Orthodox Church and, at the same time, of our Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Your Holiness and Beatitude’s courageous standing in firm adherence to the canons and dogmas of Orthodoxy are forever imprinted in the history of the autocephalous Local Churches.

Therefore, appealing to Your Holiness, I humbly ask you to hear the lamentations of the faithful of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the flock of the Zaporozhye Diocese entrusted to me, suffering from the state’s gross anti-constitutional interference in the internal affairs of our Church, preserving the holy evangelical faith under the omophorion of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, whose election to the ancient see of the Kiev Metropolia was honored by Your Holiness’ assent and recognition, in accordance with the rules of the Catholic Church.

Ever bearing in mind the intercession of the God-bearing Glinsk fathers, I hope that Your Holiness and Beatitude will again confirm your fidelity to Patristic ecclesiology by your personal example and not recognize the religious-political organization created in Ukraine under the title “Kiev Metropolia of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of Ukraine),” and that all the Local Churches will call for a pan-Orthodox discussion of the actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Ukrainian land.

I entreat that through the prayers of the holy venerable Glinsk fathers, the All-Wise Lord would enlighten us all, help us overcome temptations, and preserve unity in the holy Eucharist.

Ever remembering you, your venerator and prayerful intercessor in Christ

LUKE

Unworthy Metropolitan of Zaporozhye and Melitopol

See also
Georgian metropolitan: Ukrainian autocephaly can come only in canonical way, by request of fullness of Church Georgian metropolitan: Ukrainian autocephaly can come only in canonical way, by request of fullness of Church Georgian metropolitan: Ukrainian autocephaly can come only in canonical way, by request of fullness of Church Georgian metropolitan: Ukrainian autocephaly can come only in canonical way, by request of fullness of Church
Representatives from 11 of the world’s 15 Local Orthodox Churches gathered in Moscow on Friday to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in honor of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia’s 10th anniversary as the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. Leading the delegation for the Georgian Orthodox Church was His Eminence Metropolitan Andria of Gori, who offered a brief interview to RIA-Novosti on the Georgian Church’s attitude towards the Ukrainian crisis and other questions.
Georgian Synod won’t decide on Ukraine until spring despite visit from Constantinople delegation Georgian Synod won’t decide on Ukraine until spring despite visit from Constantinople delegation Georgian Synod won’t decide on Ukraine until spring despite visit from Constantinople delegation Georgian Synod won’t decide on Ukraine until spring despite visit from Constantinople delegation
As representatives of the Georgian Church noted afterwards, the meeting did not have any particular influence on their position, and the Church will continue to take its time in examining the matter. According to Met. Shio, the Synod will discuss the matter further at its next session in the spring, and no decisions will be made before then.
Poroshenko signs second anti-Church bill into law Poroshenko signs second anti-Church bill into law Poroshenko signs second anti-Church bill into law Poroshenko signs second anti-Church bill into law
The document defines the mechanisms by which a community can change its jurisdiction with religious centers in Ukraine and abroad.
“The unity of the Orthodox Church is based not on the sole, Papist principle, but on conciliarity”—Georgian hierarch “The unity of the Orthodox Church is based not on the sole, Papist principle, but on conciliarity”—Georgian hierarch “The unity of the Orthodox Church is based not on the sole, Papist principle, but on conciliarity”—Georgian hierarch “The unity of the Orthodox Church is based not on the sole, Papist principle, but on conciliarity”—Georgian hierarch
The development of events in the Ukraine are “an acute problem that has arisen in the world Orthodox Church,” with the canonical and majority Church being ignored and the situation being exacerbated by the statements and interference of political figures, His Eminence Metropolitan John of Rustavi of the Georgian Orthodox Church wrote on his Facebook page.
Georgian Church rebukes the pressure against it to recognize Ukrainian nationalist church Georgian Church rebukes the pressure against it to recognize Ukrainian nationalist church Georgian Church rebukes the pressure against it to recognize Ukrainian nationalist church Georgian Church rebukes the pressure against it to recognize Ukrainian nationalist church
The Georgian Patriarchate is under pressure from governmental and non-governmental forces to recognize the new Ukrainian nationalist church, according to the head of the Patriarchate’s press service Archpriest Andria Dzhagmaidze.
Persecution, church seizures, and vandalism ramp up in Pat. Bartholomew’s post-tomos Ukraine Persecution, church seizures, and vandalism ramp up in Pat. Bartholomew’s post-tomos Ukraine Persecution, church seizures, and vandalism ramp up in Pat. Bartholomew’s post-tomos Ukraine Persecution, church seizures, and vandalism ramp up in Pat. Bartholomew’s post-tomos Ukraine
Whereas the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church was experiencing intimidation before, the state authorities have now moved into repressions against the Church.
Comments
Here you can leave your comment on the present article, not exceeding 4000 characters. All comments will be read by the editors of OrthoChristian.Com.
Enter through FaceBook
Your name:
Your e-mail:
Enter the digits, seen on picture:

Characters remaining: 4000

Subscribe
to our mailing list

* indicates required
×