Uniate priest who called for reconciliation suspended from ministry
Fr Roman Kurakh. Photo: a screenshot from the YouTube channel "Potribna Rozmova"
The press service of the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Diocese reported that Roman Kurakh, a priest of the Uzhhorod Cathedral, who prayed for the reconciliation of the "great nations of Ukraine and Russia", has been punished and suspended from service. The announcement was posted on the diocese's website.
The statement says, “In the words of Fr Roman, there is a call to prayer that the Lord will reconcile the two "great peoples". In the context of a devastating war, such a remark carries the risk of being associated with propaganda narratives about "brotherly peoples" that, unfortunately, exist in some churches affiliated with the RF.”
The administration states that Kurakh's call to pray to God for reconciliation are his personal opinion and not the position of the diocese. The priest has been suspended from service. He will "bear appropriate disciplinary responsibility according to church canons".
The specific canons that entail responsibility for evangelical appeals were not specified by the diocese.
The diocesan administration called on journalists "not to allow propagandistic media resources to turn the scandalous precedent into a 'desire for reconciliation' position of our priests."
As reported, a Uniate priest was hated for his words about the reconciliation of Ukrainians and Russians.
Read also
18th-century gates of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra presented in London
State art historians have identified masterpieces by Kyiv goldsmiths in London.
In mosque, OCU "bishop" and DESS experts dine at iftar during Ramadan
At an iftar in Kyiv, authors of expert assessments against the UOC were awarded Islamic orders in the presence of the deputy head of DESS and a "hierarch" of Dumenko's structure.
Shevchuk tells Budanov of UGCC’s “state-building role”
The head of the Uniates told the head of the Presidential Office that his Church was ready to partner with the state and presented him with a book on the work of special services in the Church.
Authorities decline to disclose Ukraine’s population size
The State Statistics Service acknowledged that it has up-to-date population estimates for the country, but has decided not to make them public.
Lithuanian govt vows to protect Orthodox Church from Russian intelligence
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry has called for curbing the influence of Russian intelligence services on the Church, while an adviser to President Nausėda warned against labeling the entire structure a security threat.
During Ramadan, Patriarch Theodoros hosts Islamic iftar at his residence
Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria hosted a meal for Muslim workers breaking their fast in the courtyard of the Patriarchate and thanked a sheikh for his “brotherhood.”