Polish hierarch on non-recognition of OCU: Our position is unchanged

Speech by His Eminence Archbishop Abel (Poplavsky) of Lublin-Chełm

Archbishop Abel (Poplavsky) of Lublin-Chełm said that the Polish Orthodox Church will not change its decision not to recognize the OCU, reports the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate on its YouTube channel.

“We feel sorry for the Russian Orthodox Church on the Ukrainian issue so difficult for us all. Our position in this matter is unchanged,” said Archbishop Abel.

Delegates from other Local Orthodox Churches responded to his words with applause.

Earlier, Abp. Abel has expressed full support for the UOC. “The Orthodox Church cannot approve of these schismatics, who seem to have been found in canonical communion,” he said in an interview with the Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. “And this position was declared by the Primate of our Church, His Beatitude Savva, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland, on behalf of the fullness of our Church: without repentance, schismatics cannot be in any way attached to the mystical Body of Christ of the Holy Church of Christ.”

On January 31, 2019, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia told representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches about the aggravated religious situation in Ukraine. “In Europe, we are now facing open persecution of the canonical Orthodox Church,” he commented on what is happening in Ukraine.

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