METROPOLITAN ONUFREY EXPLAINS WHY UPTsMP CLERGY SERVED THE LITURGY FOR MILITANTS
The primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Onufrey, commented on the prayer service that the bishops of Novoazovsk and Makeevka conducted on 8 May in Saur-Mogila in the presence of the leader of the DPR [Donetsk People's Republic].
According to the Center of Information of UPTs, His Beatitude gave the commentary in response to questions of journalists at the opening of an exhibition devoted to the 1000th anniversary of the passing of Holy Prince Vladimir in the capital's Ukrainian House.
"You know, when someone comes up to you with an automatic weapon and asks for something, then surely it is very difficult for a person to refuse. We, our church, it is the church of both those who are Ukrainian guards and those who are considered to be terrorists or separatists, since our people are there and our people are there. That is our pain," the metropolitan of Kiev thinks.
"And our Metropolitan Avgustin (the metropolitan of Belaia Tserkov and Boguslav, chairman of the UPTs synod's Department for Cooperation with Armed Forces), he took an oath for our troops of the Ukrainian guard, for soldiers. That testifies to the fact that these are our people. And these others (bishops of Novoazovsk and Makeevka) came to him not so that he would bless the war but so that he would bring them to their senses. Because these are our people. To bring them to their senses so that they stop fighting," Metropolitan Onufrey emphasized.
He gave assurances of his respect for Ukrainian troops serving in the ATO [Anti-Terrorism Operation] zone.
"My action, which occurred on 8 May of this year in the Supreme Soviet, was not a snub toward heroes of Ukraine. I love and respect them, and they really are great people. It was a sign or symbol of the fact that our church wants an end of the war," Metropolitan Onufrey said.
The UPTs primate gave assurances that he also calls for an end of military actions when he is in Russia. "We speak about this at all levels even when we visit in Russia. I spoke about this and appealed to the Russian authorities that they would use all their efforts so that the war would be stopped. This is the position of our church," Metropolitan of Kiev Onufrey emphasized. (tr. by PDS, posted 2 June 2015)
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