Zoria: Illness has changed Filaret beyond recognition

Spokesman Eustraty Zoria and "sick" Filaret. Photo Facebook

The disease turned the "patriarch" into an ally of Moscow, which is now using him in the fight against the Ukrainian Tomos. Spokesman of the OCU Eustraty Zoria wrote about it on his Facebook page, commenting on "another stooping to a whole new low" – a recent interview of "honorary patriarch" Filaret Denisenko to "Kremlin propagandists".

He stressed that the current Filaret is no longer the “patriarch”, who was previously revered for courage and sacrifice and awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.

“The disease has changed him beyond recognition,” wrote Zoria. “From the outside everything looks the same. But I can’t even imagine our Patriarch to give an interview to Kremlin propagandists knowing what they need it for – in order to further destroy Ukraine. The disease made him a real ally of Moscow in its fight against the Tomos. "When I leave the OCU, Tomos will be taken away from Epiphany, he will be nobody and I will be the Patriarch," some other person could say it but not OUR Patriarch. Today, the disease manifested itself with another “stooping to a whole new low" – an interview with Russia 24."

Zoria is convinced: “Using the illness of the Patriarch, Moscow humiliates and destroys him, but he is unable to understand this. Special services of the Kremlin are taking revenge for the fact that he once broke away with them. Now, after many years, it became possible to retaliate so that their enemy destroys and humiliates himself.”

“Let us pray for the health of Patriarch Filaret – both physical and spiritual. Because what is impossible for people is possible for God! ” added Zoria stressing that a healthy Ukrainian cannot give an interview to a Russian television channel.

Such statements of Zoria about the alleged illness of Denisenko provoked outrage of the “hierarch” of the UOC-KP Joasaph Shibaev.

“The Archbishop diagnoses the health of the Patriarch,” he wrote on his Facebook page. In order to substantiate sound perturbation of the Patriarch caused by the tricks of Eustraty, Agapit, and Met. Epiphany, he makes a "diagnosis" and the Patriarch turns out to be ill. Moreover, his health is undermined by enemies!!! An unverified diagnosis, which cannot be confirmed. Someone might buy into this “diagnosis” to lull their own conscience, plagued by their own treachery. But why not look directly and sensibly at the reasons for the Patriarch's resentment?”

Shibaev stressed that the representatives of the OCU staged a “defamation of the Patriarch”, trying to destroy the “truly autocephalous” Kiev Patriarchate, “which was not dependent and is not dependent now” either on Moscow or on Constantinople.

“Not recognized by anyone? But who has recognized you now? Many? They will recognize you (OCU – Ed.) in the future, perhaps? Given all the dirt coming out from the heads of the OCU, the recognition is doubtful in the future as well. Do not think up the "diseases of the patriarch," which had you exposed to your iniquities. There is one cause only: your wrongs, your treacherous betrayal of the interests of the local Ukrainian Church and in this connection treachery of your father, the Most Holy Patriarch, who raised you, nurtured you and absolutely trusted you! It is not the sick condition of patriarch, but that of your conscience – a gang of usurpers who illegally and deceitfully seized the church! ” wrote Shibaev.

Recall that in an interview with the journalists of the Russian channel Russia 24, Filaret Denisenko told about the reasons for his signing of the Tomos and why the OCU is not an autocephalous Church.

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