Metropolitan Anthony speaks of threats to Church in modern world

The UOC Chancellor, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Boryspil and Brovary. Photo: pravlife.org

On June 10, 2020, the UOC Chancellor, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Boryspil and Brovary, spoke about the threats to the Church in the modern world, reports Pravlife.

According to the hierarch, “to separate, to divide, to take away is the ever-present slogan of the revolutionaries. Revolutions occur not only at the political level but also at the ecclesiastical one. Any call for division is a declaration of war against the Church. The Church is in unity. The anti-Church is in division.

In the Church, as in a family – for good reason the family is considered a small Church – the undermining of unity leads to ruin. Imagine if there is a family disagreement or divorce. Everything falls apart. The world of once close people collapses. Things are not going well, life is turning into hell.”

Metropolitan Anthony explains that the same thing happens in the church environment: “All attempts to separate its parts from each other are attempts to destroy the Church. Of course, the destruction of the Church itself is not terrible. The Church is indestructible. She has stood and will stand until the end of time, but people who are excommunicated, separated, deceived will suffer and torment themselves. At various times, the dogmatic teaching of the Church has been attacked. Different dogmas were targeted. Enemies deliberately tried to distort the truth, to separate believers, and control them."

“In our time, the teaching of the Church is again under attack. There attempts to subdue the Church to earthly laws. Out of their foolishness, people have forgotten that the Church of Christ is not of this world, It is not only of earthly origin but also of Heaven. And just as Christ has a double nature: Divine and human, so the Church of Christ, left to us by the Saviour, has a double nature,” says the bishop.

He emphasizes: “To see in the Church exclusively human nature, to strive to level out the supramundane and supernatural nature inherent in Her is a terrible mistake. The Church is the Kingdom of the King of Heaven – the Holy Spirit of the Comforter, a new being on earth, brought by the incarnate God the Word. The Church will never change its teaching for the sake of temporary requirements. All that is temporary will disappear, and the truth is eternal.”

In conclusion, Metropolitan Anthony called "in a single impulse and with one mouth to offer prayers to God and believe in His wonderful presence".

As reported earlier, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) stated that Christianity is the destiny of strong and courageous people, and humility is valuable in the eyes of God and is His gift given to the man for a brave heart.

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