P.Ts.U. HONORARY PATRIARCH GIVES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
VOTING IN
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
The former primate of the UPTsKP and current honorary
patriarch of the
Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PTsU), Filaret, on 19 April appealed
urging voting
in two days "for the preservation of Ukraine and its
civilizational
choice." The relevant report was published on the cerkva.info
website.
"Ukraine is now experiencing a moment of difficult
trials. Its
very existence as a state is at stake. The Muscovite aggressor
has occupied a
part of our land and our troops are perishing at the front. The
church prays
for the integrity of Ukraine and for the fallen heroes. The
church prays for
victory and for the unity of the Ukrainian people. Without
unity, victory over
the occupier cannot be achieved nor the civilizational choice of
Ukraine, our
community with Europe, be preserved," the appeal says.
"The church prays that the Lord will give wisdom to our
people to
make such a choice during the current presidential election that
our Ukrainian
state will be preserved, and its sovereignty, integrity, and
future will be
ensured," Filaret declared.
He expressed concern that during the election campaign
statements were
voiced in society directed against the European choice of
Ukraine, and the
memory of the heroes of the Celestial Century and troops who
perished in the
Russian-Ukrainian war was besmirched.
"Disrespect for Ukraine itself and for the culture and
language of
the Ukrainian people is impermissible," the patriarch declared.
"During the election campaign several news media have
insulted our
church, using such expressions as the 'repatriarching' of the
Ukrainian church
and calling the tomos concerning autocephaly of the Ukrainian
Orthodox Church
received from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, for whose
receipt the current
president labored much, a 'thermos,'" the appeal says.
Patriarch Filaret also called attention to the fact that citizens are rightly upset with corruption and the absence of real justice. (tr. by PDS, posted 20 April 2019)
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