Thread by @Favillez

1) In his most recent statements the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (autocephalous) has gone back to slamming the other Ukrainian Orthodox Church (former Moscow Patriarchate).
Excerpts follow, full excerpts and statments here:
actualidadereligiosa.blogspot.com/2022/02/war-in…

2) His Christmas message was, naturally, very focused on the war.
"We did not want this war, as a people we sought to live peacefully, having understanding with all our neighbors, but the enemy cunningly and treacherously broke the peace and attacked our land, shedding blood,

3) sowing death, wanting to destroy our statehood and our very Ukrainian identity. More than three decades ago, we broke free from centuries-old slavery, threw off the yoke, became independent, and started building our own sovereign state.

4) Those who held us captive could not tolerate our achievements and our success. Devilish malice and envy prompted them to start a war, but in it they will definitely be defeated, because the truth is on our side. And where the truth is, there is God, and with God we will win."

5) During a meeting with medical personnel, he somehow found time to subtly criticise the church led by Met. Onuphry:
"The enemy seeks to act as much as possible in the spiritual sphere, which is almost the only one that has remained under his influence until now.

6) Therefore, the murderous ideology of the ‘Russian world’, sometimes veiled and hybrid, and sometimes quite openly, still continues to be promoted. This is unacceptable during a bloody war for our God-given land, freedom and independence. And this is by no means a question of

7) freedom of religion or the free opportunity to pray, because, as we see, no one forbids this. It is a matter of national security"

This is always a dangerous path for a religious leader to follow, and I would say regrettable. It is the same type of logic that lands priests

8) loyal to the autocephalous Church, or to the UGCC, in jail (or worse) in the occupied territories.
But there was more to come in a speech made on the day he presided over a celebration in the Pechersk Lavra, following intervention by the state

9) He refers to the presence of Moscow loyalists in the Lavra as "unholy"
"More than two decades ago, this shrine was restored from the ruins as a gift to the Ukrainian people for the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ, and today we are celebrating the second birth of both

10) this cathedral and our Pechersk Lavra itself. Because the artificial spirit of the unholy teaching of the "Russian world" is leaving them, and the spirit of true spiritual service to the holy Orthodoxy and the Ukrainian people is returning."

11) And then this: "to ensure that the name of the Lavra is no longer disgraced because of the seductive behavior of those who have forgotten about the vocation to be humble workers in the vineyard of God, and not arrogant boyars in the midst of their alleged fiefdom."

12) After the punches, comes the open hand: "the doors of our Church are open, we want to achieve the unity of all Orthodox around the Kyivan Throne, around the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine - one of the equivalent and equal autocephalous Sister Churches of Ecumenical

13) Orthodoxy, which on the Ukrainian land carries out its service to the native people without any external control, interference or coercion (...) I appeal to the brethren of the monastery: it is time to finally free yourself from the non-canonical rule of Moscow and its

14) servants, to follow the Tomos, to begin a new page of the life of the monastery as a truly monastic monastery dedicated to the service of the one Church of Christ and its neighbors - the Ukrainian people"

15) The most recent statement is from yesterday's sermon, where he likens Putin to Herod, and Russian soldiers to those who killed the innocent babies, trying to kill Jesus.

16) "In the time of indescribable suffering brought to our land by the newest Herod and his embittered servants, these memories directly echo with pain in our souls. After all, millions of our fellow citizens became forced refugees due to Russian aggression, just as the Mother of

17) God and the Child and Elder Joseph - Her betrothed and guardian - were refugees. Women, children, people of the older generation, escaping from the murderers of the Kremlin dictator"

18) And he ends with: "Therefore, we too, dear brothers and sisters, being in these difficult circumstances of the war, will not lose heart and despair, but let the example of the victorious humility of the Son of God inspire us. No matter how long the temporary triumph of evil

19) lasts, the sword of God's justice will punish it. Every unrepentant criminal, like Herod of old, will be judged. And everyone who suffered innocent suffering will receive a reward from the Righteous Judge, who himself suffered unjustly."

20) So the battle between the Churches continues. Amidst all of this we continue to not really know where the other Ukrainian Orth Church stands in relation to its status with Moscow.

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