Source: The Postil Magazine
December 9, 2024
Ukrainian soldiers burning icons
“No matter what they do to us, whatever decisions they make, we will still love everyone equally. We will love God, we will love our land, our people, our government, our army. We will love all people and pray for them. Because our Church is the Church of love. It was founded by God, Who Himself is Love” (Metropolitan Onufry Berezovsky, Primate of Ukrainian Orthodox Church [UOC], October 22, 2023. Official UOC website).
“When we are called Banderites, we are proud of it… For some, this name is offensive, but for us it is an honor. Because our land gave birth to such glorious heroes who once said that the time will come when one will say ‘Glory to Ukraine!’ and millions will answer ‘Glory to the Heroes!” (“Metropolitan” Epifaniy Dumenko, Head of the ‘Orthodox Church of Ukraine’ [OCU], April 11, 2019. Official OCU website).
On August 20, 2024 the Ukrainian parliament (Rada) voted on the second reading of its Bill 8371 establishing a nationwide ban on the thousand-year-old, multi-million member Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Its first reading won overwhelming parliamentary support in October, 2023, although some MPs, including Artem Dmytruk, spoke out against it as an unconscionable violation of rights. The second reading passed by a vote of 265-29-4. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the bill as Law No. 3894-IX on August 24, 2024.
... Read the rest at the Postil Magazine.
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