RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Churches respond to renewed armed conflict in Donbass

CHURCH OF MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE IN MARIUPOL PRAYS FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR SALVATION OF UKRAINE

RISU, 25 January 2015

 

Today in the UPTsMP church of the Archangel Michael in Mariupol a prayer service for peace and the preservation of Ukraine will be held. The prayer service begins at 12.00, Espreso.tv reports with reference to Novosti Donbassa.

 

"For the first time in all the time of the armed conflict in the Donbass, the church of the Moscow patriarchate, with the blessing of Metropolitan of Donetsk and Mariupol Ilarion, is prepared to pray openly for the salvation of Ukraine," the report emphasized.

 

We recall that yesterday morning fighters of illegal armed formations committed another terrorist act: they shelled the eastern outskirts of Mariupol from a Grad reaction system of multiple shellings.

 

As a result of the shelling, 30 persons died, including two children. About 100 persons were wounded.

 

A video appeared showing how before the shelling of Mariupol, the leader of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, speaking before companions of the terrorists, declared the start of an offensive of fighters upon the city.

 

Terrorists hastened to justify themselves that they do not have artillery capable of delivering a blow on Mariupol. At the headquarters of the so-called militia they called the strike on Mariupol a provocation.

 

Alexander Turchinov, secretary of the Council for National Security and Defense, declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin bears personal responsibility for the dead as the result of the shelling of Mariupol.

 

Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov reported that the spotter for the terrorists who shelled Mariupol had been arrested.

 

SBU published a tape of an intercepted conversation of the leader of the terrorists who committed the shelling of Mariupol.

 

A special monitoring mission of OSCE confirmed the information that the morning shelling of Mariupol was committed from territory controlled by militants. (tr. by PDS, posted 27 January 2015)


METROPOLITAN ONUFREY COMDEMNS ACT OF MANIFESTATION OF TERRORISM IN MARIUPOL

RISU, 25 January 2015

 

Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine Onufrey, on 25 January performed the liturgy in the refectory church of Saints Antony and Feodosy of the Holy Dormition  Kiev caves lavra. Concelebrants with him were the vicar abbot of the cloister, Metropolitan of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl Pavel; the chancellor of UPTs, Metropolitan of Borispol and Brovary Antony; and clergy of the monastery.

 

According to a report of the official website of UPTsMP, after the conclusion of the liturgy, Metropolitan Onufrey expressed sympathy regarding the tragic events in Mariupol.

 

"Yesterday, as the result of a terrorist act in Mariupol, about 30 civilians died, and people in other regions of the Donbass also died. We pray that the Lord will forgive them all the voluntary and involuntary sins and receive them as a blameless victim, because these people have not been hostile to anybody. May the Lord impart wisdom to those who have raised the hand against their brother and give them heartfelt peace and restore their love for God and neighbor," the primate of UPTsMP said. (tr. by PDS, posted 27 January 2015)



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