Kiev, December 18, 2020
YouTube screenshot
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church welcomes the planned visit of Patriarch Bartholomew if he is coming to apologize to those who are suffering because of his interference in Ukrainian Church life, according to the Chancellor of the UOC.
Commenting on the Patriarch’s intentions to visit Ukraine next August at the invitation of President Vladimir Zelensky in an interview with Russia 24, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary noted, first of all, that any president has the right to visit any state and religious leader, but he should also think first about his own state and its stability.
“And in this regard, of course, the arrival of Patriarch Bartholomew to Ukraine will not bring peace and tranquility, because he bears personal responsibility for what has been happening in the religious sphere here in recent years,” the Metropolitan said.
“This includes our churches being taken away and our priests and faithful being beaten. This is all the personal responsibility of Patriarch Bartholomew, as it happened after he granted the tomos of autocephaly to the Ukrainian schismatics,” the UOC Chancellor added.
Thus, Pat. Bartholomew is welcome under one condition: “If [he] wants to come to Ukraine to ask forgiveness from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, from our priests, our faithful, then we welcome such a visit,” Met. Anthony explained.
However, the UOC also knows this is an unrealistic expectation: “But I suppose he wants to come here triumphantly. But this triumph is a lie. It will bring only discord and division to the life of Ukrainian society.”
“In this regard, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church believes that such a visit is inappropriate,” Met. Anthony summed up.
The Chancellor also addressed the Patriarch’s visit on Ukrainian television last month, saying: “Vladimir Zelensky saying that Patriarch Bartholomew cares about peace in Ukraine sounds quite dissonant.”
“Therefore, our position is clear: We are against Patriarch Bartholomew coming to Ukraine, because we can foresee that his arrival will not serve for peace in Ukraine, but could become a new impetus for more global confrontations,” Met. Anthony added.
The UOC expects an increase in pressure and persecution from the state and schismatics leading up to the Patriarch’s visit next summer.
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