PATRIARCH KIRILL CALLS UKRAINIANS "UNHAPPY LOST PEOPLE BEFUDDLED BY NATIONALISM"
On Sunday after the liturgy in honor of Holy Prince Vladimir, Patriarch of Moscow Kirill said that the root of all the troubles of Ukraine is in church schism. Kirill said that one of these church divisions is more than 400 years old.
"We know what a colossal danger now hangs over Ukraine, an important part and central core of historic Holy Rus. What is the instrument of the destruction of national life that was set in motion? The division of the church! One of these divisions is more than 400 years old (he has in mind the Brest Unia of 1596—ed.) and it was always aiming for the division of the people who were living in this region," the Moscow patriarch said.
"When they cry crocodile tears and say that
someone is destroying the Ukrainian people from the outside, I
would like to say—Silence. You have been working 400 years on
dividing the people in Ukraine. And this is more horrible than any
foreign aggression, because this aggression is coming from within.
The unhappy, lost people, befuddled by nationalism and creating
schism, have joined up with it," Patriarch Kirill said. This was
reported by Russia 24. (tr. by PDS, posted 27 July 2015)
PATRIARCH KIRILL SEES SOURCE OF CURRENT TRAGEDY IN UKRAINE IN CHURCH SCHISM
Interfax-Religiia, 27 July 2015
"We know what a colossal danger now hangs over Ukraine, an important part and central core of historic Holy Rus. What is the instrument of the destruction of national life that was set in motion? The division of the church!" the patriarch said on Sunday after the liturgy in the church consecrated to Holy Prince Vladimir on the territory of the reconstructed Moscow diocesan house. He said one of these church divisions is more than 400 years old.
"And when today they cry crocodile tears and say that someone from the outside has destroyed the Ukrainian people, we answer—Silence. You have been working 400 years on dividing our people in Ukraine. And this is more horrible than any aggression, because this aggression is coming from within. The unhappy, lost people, befuddled by nationalism and creating schism, have joined up with it," the primate declared.
He expressed the hope that, as in the time of Holy Prince Vladimir, the Baptizer of Rus, the church by its unity secured the enlightenment of enormous popular masses and preserved the unity of the people who belonged to various tribes and nationality, so also today "the church, performing its ministry for the people, will facilitate the healing of all its wounds and all its diseases." (tr. by PDS, posted 27 July 2015)
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