VOLYN UPTs PRIESTS REFUTE ACCUSATION BY LOCAL DEPUTIES OF AIDING SEPARATISTS
Religiia v Ukraine, 23 December 2014
On 20 December an appeal of clergy of the Kivertsy deanery to deputies of the Kivertsy district and city councils was published on the official website of the Volyn diocese of UPTsMP. In it the clergy expressed dismay with respect to the "Appeal to believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate" which was supported by a plenary assembly of the regular session of the Kivertsy district council of Volyn province on 3 December, Religiia v Ukraine reports with reference to the UPTs website.
The priests think that the deputies of the district council indulged in a baseless accusation of all believers of the UPTs to the effect that they "do not pray for Ukraine" and that they complicate the difficult situation in the country. Actually the deputies wrote that "believers of UPTsMP pray in their churches for the health of people and bless fratricide," having in mind the position of Patriarch Kirill and priests who support separatists: "If it were not for their blessing and support of the Russian Orthodox people, then possibly there would be no war."
The clergy of the Kivertsy deanery of UPTs reminded the people's deputies of the scale of social work that clerics and laity of the Volyn diocese have performed in the course of the entire time of the existence of an independent Ukraine: "Even today, in the extremely tense social and political situation, believers and clergy of UPTs are not standing aside from the problems and they are helping Ukrainian troops, the civilian population, and displaced persons, without dividing up people in accordance with either political or religious convictions. For more than 20 years the Volyn diocese of UPTs and Metropolitan Nifont personally have helped thousands, including orphans, disabled persons, and people in difficult circumstances. Our Kivertsy clergy will always be with their compatriots."
"The primate of the UPTs [i.e., Metropolitan of Kiev Onufrey—tr.] has not been silent, as you think," the clergy noted, "and at each liturgy he raises prayers for peace in Ukraine and appeals to the flock with exhortations and requests for seeking a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Since the primate of UPTs is not a politician, he does not give political assessments or commentaries, in contrast to other so-called 'Ukrainian clergymen.'"
The clerics of the Kivertsy deanery emphasized the impermissibility of interference by state institutions in the affairs of the church, which by law are distinct structures. The clergy's appeals also noted that attempts to settle church problems by secular means lead only to disruption of interconfessional peace and incitement of religious warfare.
"In view of frequent baseless accusations against the UPTs, it may be concluded that one may perceive in your appeal indications of criminal offenses connected with incitement of religious hostility and enmity, to say nothing of Christian commandments and ordinary human morality. Now, armed with the example of the courageous testimony of our ancestors, we are prepared to defend even with our life our mother church, which began at the time of the baptism of Kievan Rus," the clergy of the Kivertsy deanery of the Volyn diocese of the UPTs concluded. (tr. by PDS, posted 25 December 2014)
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