His Beatitude Onuphry: Primate has to remain a servant of God and Church

The Primate of the UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. Photo: Information and Education Department

On July 27, 2019, in a big interview on Inter TV channel, the head of the UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, will tell about the features of the relationship of the Church with the state authorities of Ukraine, said one of the announcements of the program on the channel page on Facebook.

“The Church cannot serve any party. The Church is nonpartisan. If we serve the party, we will become the same political organization as the party we serve. But the Church serves all. We are all equal before God. We are all children of God,” the announcement quoted the words of the UOC Primate.

The viewers were also told that during the interview, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry will explain what principles he is guided by when communicating with the power holders.

“I am obedient to the Church. Having this obedience, I nevertheless must fulfill my duty and socialize with other people, with businessmen and politicians. So the task of a Primate is when dealing with the heterodox not to lose the purity of my Orthodox faith. When communicating with businessmen – I should not become a businessman. When communicating with politicians – I should not turn into a politician. I must remain God's servant, a servant of the Church,” the words of the Primate of the UOC were broadcast on Inter TV channel.

Recall, on July 17, 2019, on the air of Ukraina TV channel, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry said that the canonical Church does not ask for any preferences or advantages from the authorities. “We ask that the law work and that everyone be equal before the law,” he explained. Also, the Primate of the UOC called upon the flock to help the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, to implement his good intentions.

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