Source: DECR Communication Service
December 23, 2015
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill in his Christmas interview with the "Russia" TV channel broadcast on December 22 expressed his concern over events in the village of Ptichya and underscored that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was the only force that unites people in Ukraine.
"We have sorrowful hearts about the current events in Ukraine as we see these terrifying seizures of churches. In the village of Ptichya in the Rovno region several women and two priests have been sitting in the church for several days and nights without water and food, huddling up to one another for warmth as electricity was switched off while the roaring crowd outside demanded to throw these people out of the church building to give it to another religious group which we call schismatic," His Holiness said.
"This kind of policy further divides the Ukrainian people, and those who do not want to experience anything similar to what happened in the village of Ptichya will fight tooth and nail against the possibility of the authorities coming to take their churches," the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church explained.
According to the patriarch, there is almost no one who works for the sake of unity in Ukraine, in particular referring to those, who, loudly proclaiming thier goals, further the enstrangement of Ukrainians one from another with their actions.
"The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is my only hope as she is the confessor that really unites people living in the east, west, north or south of the country, humbly but courageously speaking the truth and steering people to unity," His Holiness underscored.
"I pray for His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry, the bishops, clergy and all the faithful. I believe that Ukraine will hold out and be a prosperous country, peaceful, free of trouble and friendly with its neighbors," the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said in conclusion.
