Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2023 8:12:50 GMT
Yesterday was an understandably joyous day in Ukraine: Independence Day, and the 32nd anniversary of Ukraine's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.
Of course, Ukrainians should celebrate this foundational day in the history of their God-protected and long-suffering nation.
One very sad and peculiar thing happened on this day, however. President Zelensky held a "Prayer for Ukraine" event at St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. Every single major Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leader in Ukraine attended and read a prayer. The one exception: the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Onufriy. The UOC is by far the largest Church in Ukraine, comprising around half of all parishes in the country, but it was forbidden to send any representative to this event.
Last year, Metropolitan Onufriy read a prayer in front of Zelensky, Zelensky's wife, and all the other religious leaders of Ukraine. This year, it seems he has become an unperson. What a pity. Metropolitan Onufriy is a very holy man indeed, and a true patriot of Ukraine.
Zelensky will gain nothing from continuing to alienate the millions of Ukrainians who belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, many of whom die at the front defending their Ukrainian motherland - as I have said, many of them cannot have proper funerals because the state has closed their parish church or given it to the state-supported "Orthodox Church of Ukraine", which is considerably smaller than the UOC and has little legitimacy in the eyes of either the Orthodox or Catholic Churches.
At a time when Ukraine needs unity more than ever to fight the external aggressor, Zelensky continues to create disunity in the nation, which will only benefit one person and one country: V. V. Putin and the Russian Federation.
Of course, Ukrainians should celebrate this foundational day in the history of their God-protected and long-suffering nation.
One very sad and peculiar thing happened on this day, however. President Zelensky held a "Prayer for Ukraine" event at St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. Every single major Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leader in Ukraine attended and read a prayer. The one exception: the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Onufriy. The UOC is by far the largest Church in Ukraine, comprising around half of all parishes in the country, but it was forbidden to send any representative to this event.
Last year, Metropolitan Onufriy read a prayer in front of Zelensky, Zelensky's wife, and all the other religious leaders of Ukraine. This year, it seems he has become an unperson. What a pity. Metropolitan Onufriy is a very holy man indeed, and a true patriot of Ukraine.
Zelensky will gain nothing from continuing to alienate the millions of Ukrainians who belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, many of whom die at the front defending their Ukrainian motherland - as I have said, many of them cannot have proper funerals because the state has closed their parish church or given it to the state-supported "Orthodox Church of Ukraine", which is considerably smaller than the UOC and has little legitimacy in the eyes of either the Orthodox or Catholic Churches.
At a time when Ukraine needs unity more than ever to fight the external aggressor, Zelensky continues to create disunity in the nation, which will only benefit one person and one country: V. V. Putin and the Russian Federation.