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Patriarch Filaret optimistic about unification sobor

UPTsKP SYNOD SOON WILL CALL SOBOR FOR UNITING CHURCHES

RISU, 17 June 2015

 

A representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev patriarchate, Archbishop Evstraty, declared on 16 June that soon the synod of UPTsKP will make a decision on the convening of a sobor for uniting the churches. The archbishop wrote this on Facebook. He said that on Tuesday Patriarch Filaret said that the Kiev patriarchate advocates unification.

 

"Soon the synod will make a decision about convening the unification sobor," the archbishop quoted Patriarch Filaret.

 

"We are for unification. And the UAPTs has declared that it is for unification. And this means that it is necessary to unite, if the desire is sincere and not just words. And the commission has prepared the proposals how to do this. We support these proposals. And we expect that UAPTs also will support them—and will make the corresponding decision by 30 June. But if somebody does not want to unite and seeks various reasons not to do this, then we do not want to force anybody. Let them say directly that now they do not want unification, and let people know the truth of who is for unification and who isn't," Filared noted, adding that "there will be church unification."

 

"Whether somebody wants it or not, God has put everybody in such conditions that there will be no other path than to create a united local church. This applies to both UAPTs and the Moscow patriarchate. We should remember that God directs the church because it is his, and we all, patriarchs, metropolitans, bishops, priests are his ministers in order to fulfill his will and not our own," Patriarch Filaret added. (tr. by PDS, posted 20 June 2015)


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