PRESIDENT PARTICIPATES IN PRAYER FOR UKRAINE ALONG WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF VARIOUS RELIGIOUS CONFESSIONS
On 24 August, Ukrainian Independence Day, President Petro Poroshenko and his family participated in a united prayer for Ukraine along with representatives of various religious confessions, the website president.gov.ua reports.
In Holy Wisdom cathedral primates of churches and leaders of religious organizations raised prayers for our state. They requested peace and prosperity for Ukraine and God's protection and blessing for its people and those who defend the state.
Prayers were pronounced by the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine Onufrey; Major Archbishop of Kiev and Galicia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Sviatoslav Shevchuk; the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev patriarchate, Filaret; Bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada (representative of the ecumenical patriarch) Ilarion; Archbishop of the diocese of Kiev-Zhitomir of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine, Petr Malchuk; the chief rabbi of the Association of Jewish Religious Organizations, Yakov Dov Blaikh; mufti of the Ecclesiastical Board of Muslims of Ukraine, Tamim Akhmed; and the president of the Ukrainian Bible Society, Grigory Komendant.
After this a choir performed the spiritual anthem "Bozhe Edinyi, Velikii,/Nam Ukrainu khrani!," (God, the Only and Mighty/Guard Ukraine for us!), and the president's family placed candles. (tr. by PDS, posted 24 August 2015)
PATRIARCH GREETS POROSHENKO AND CALLS HIM TO COOPERATE WITH UPTs
Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill sent greetings to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on the occasion of Ukrainian Independence Day, expressing hope for "good cooperation of bodies of state authority and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the interests of stability of Ukrainian society."
Russia and Ukraine are canonically both in the jurisdiction of the Moscow patriarch. Besides the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the so-called Kiev patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, which are not recognized by world Orthodoxy, are functioning in Ukraine.
"The church continues to call people who have different views, aspirations and hopes to harmony, mutual forgiveness, and joint labor for the good of their common motherland," Patriarch Kirill noted in a letter to the president of Ukraine, which was posted on Monday on the website of the Moscow patriarchate.
Earlier, representatives of the Kiev patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, who for more than two decades have demanded recognition of their legitimacy, with the support of political authorities, announced the start of a unification process and prospects for the creation of a local Ukrainian Orthodox church. At the same time, the UPTs of the Moscow patriarchate has called the unrecognized Orthodox churches to unite within the framework of the canonical church. In late July, Poroshenko declared that in Ukraine its own local Orthodox church should be created.
Ukraine is celebrating on 23 and 24 August the Day of the State Flag and Independence Day. Poroshenko was also greeted by Roman Pope Francis. He said, the Holy See "supports efforts which will help the Ukrainian people to move forward in the spirit of reunification and peace." One of the three most numerous churches in Ukraine is the Greek Catholic (Uniate) Church, which maintains Orthodox ritual but recognizes the Roman pope as its head. (tr. by PDS, posted 24 August 2015)
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