PATRIARCH FILARET VISITS CARPATHIA, DESCRIBES WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT WAR IN UKRAINE AND UNIFICATION WITH UAPTs
Within the framework of an annual archpastoral visit and an all-Ukrainian pilgrimage, the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev patriarchate [UPTsKP], Patriarch of Kiev and all-Rus-Ukraine Filaret, arrived at the Manyava Elevation of the Cross monastery in Carpathia.
The patriarch was met back at the border of Ivano-Frankovsk and Ternopol provinces by leaders of Carpathia, Metropolitan of Ivano-Frankovsk and Galicia Ioasaf, and representatives of the clergy.
After arriving in Ivano-Frankovsk, Patriarch Filaret visited the church of the Holy Archcommander Michael and the cathedral church of the Holy Trinity, where he talked with parishioners.
Then the patriarch traveled to Manyava, where in the Manyava Elevation of the Cross monastery a Divine Liturgy was held under his leadership. Here the faithful prayed, in the first place, for the restoration of peace in Ukraine. "When a soldier defends his family, state, and people, he shows his love," Patriarch Filaret emphasized. "Jesus Christ said that no one has greater love than the one who lays down his soul for his friends."
After the solemn liturgy in Manyava, Vladyka talked with reporters.
"Every year I visit up to 14 dioceses, and have come to the Ivano-Frankovsk diocese on the feast day of John the Forerunner and the Manyava saints Iov and Feodosy. And here I talk with bishops, clergy, and of course believers, and we pray. This year there were especially many of the faithful who came to pray in the Manyava skete, a center of pilgrimage, which every year draws more and more believers not only from Galicia but also from eastern Ukraine," the first hierarch said. "Today we, all Ukrainians, are disturbed by events occurring in the east. Therefore the church, which has always been with the people, and is now and will be, supports the Ukrainian people in these difficult conditions. And particularly the Ukrainian army. When in the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches we took up the question of the collection of money to help the army, the primate of UPTsMP, Metropolitan Onufrey, said that they will not do this in order not to emphasize that our army is so weak. I gave him the example that during the Second World War, the Russian church collected money for a tank column and a squadron of the Soviet army. Evidently they simply do not want to support our army but only the separatists in the east. I do not want to say this about the whole church of the Moscow patriarchate, because there also are patriots there. Our church of the Kiev patriarchate has collected, in the years of the war, more than 50,000 tons of humanitarian aid. In addition, it sent to the army about 100 first-aid automobiles and microbuses. Also our priests, along with priests of the Greek Catholic Church, are with the soldiers at the front, supporting them."
The primate of UPTsKP accented the fact that the views on events in the east of Ukraine are radically divergent between UPTsKP, UGKTs, and UAPTs, on one hand, and the UPTsMP, on the other. "Our position is that what is going on is a struggle of separatists in east Ukraine against our government and an aggression on the part of Russia," the patriarch says. "After all, we see the presence of Russian weapons there. In addition, representatives of Russian special services are there. The UPTsMP maintains that this is a civil war. If that were so, then this problem would already have been resolved. But the war still is ending [sic, is a "not" missing?—tr.]; Russia will not defeat Ukraine! Because our army is still capable of defense and the Ukrainian spirit is so strong that it is impossible to break it. A good example are events near Mariupol, which one analyst called a second Stalingrad of the time of the Second World War, which became a turning point, as did our victory."
Patriarch Filaret also expressed his position regarding the unification process with UAPTs, which he affirms is continuing. Appropriate commissions have been created, which at their sessions have confirmed their intention to unite and have scheduled the convening of a joint sobor on 14 September. But, according to the charters, the churches still were supposed to confirm its conducting. The Kiev patriarchate has already given its consent. The Autocephalous Church still is postponing confirmation. Patriarch Filaret reported that the bishops' council of the UAPTs should adopt a decision of the Unification Sobor on 9 July.
The UPTsKP is also advancing requirements regarding the number of its delegates at the Unification Sobor. The head of UPTsKP maintains that there should be more of them officially registered and that the number of faithful in their church is greater. The Autocephalous Church also has set a condition of the preservation of the name of the church.
The patriarch also recalled that many believers of the Moscow patriarchate have transferred to the side of the Kiev patriarchate.
"I would like to emphasize that Moscow is playing a negative role in this process," Vladyka Filaret says. "Because it is not interested in the unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy into a united church. It is more beneficial for Russia that it be divided, because then it is easier to struggle with our state and church. But when we are united, then they will not be able to defeat us. Unification with the Autocephalous Church is just the beginning; there then should be unification with the UPTs of the Moscow patriarchate also. On the whole, if there were no Kiev patriarchate or Greek Catholic Church, as well as Autocephalous and Roman Catholic and protestant churches, then I think that Putin would already have defeated Ukraine. Because they are acting as a united front against Russian aggression. Therefore Putin will not defeat us." Natalia Palii reported this for RISU. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 July 2015)
Editorial disclaimer: RRN does
not intend to certify the accuracy of information
presented in articles. RRN simply intends to certify the
accuracy of the English translation of the contents of the
articles as they appeared in news media of countries of
the former USSR.
If material is quoted, please give credit to the
publication from which it came. It is not necessary to credit
this Web page. If material is transmitted electronically, please
include reference to the URL,
http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/.