Hegumen of Athos monastery: Ukrainian Church should maintain unity with ROC

Hegumen of St. Paul's Monastery on Mount Athos Archimandrite Parphenios (Mourelatos)

The abbot of St. Paul's Monastery on Mount Athos Archimandrite Parphenios (Mourelatos) considers church self-government in the form of autocephaly to be positive when there is peace, and it does not become a matter of the division of people, as reported by the priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, Protopriest Vladimir Vigiliansky, on his Facebook page.

Commenting on the situation in Ukraine, Archimandrite Parphenios said, "I think that church self-government in the form of autocephaly is a good thing in itself, but when there is peace when this issue does not become a matter of the division of people, the flock. Therefore, wisdom probably tells me to maintain unity with the Patriarchate of Moscow as far as possible. My opinion is that all the countries of the former Union should be in the one Russian Orthodox Church."

According to him, "if Ukraine joins Europe, it will face the worse than Greece does. So, you have to be very careful. We must pray to God, the Most Holy Theotokos, the saints. Only the Lord can save us from the difficult situation in which we find ourselves."

"The new era will destroy everything, will destroy the family, try to destroy the Church, destroy everything, so that nothing will remain. People are moving towards evil and moving at breakneck speed. Who can hold this speed? Only a good God Who keeps the world ... A storm is coming, which is worse than communism ... What is approaching now is worse. May God protect us all!" Father Parphenios believes.

87-year-old Archimandrite Parphenios (Mourelatos) is one of the oldest Athonites. He settled on Mount Athos in 1954, and for 40 years he has been the hegumen of St. Paul’s Monastery. This monastery is famous for its shrine – Gifts of the Magi.

As the UOJ reported, earlier the Chancellor of the UOC Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovary said that the only fear that can take place in the soul of believers is to be outside the canonical Church.

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