UOC cleric: There are those who don’t like Church to reconcile, not divide
Hieromonk Gabriel, spokesman for the Pochaiv Lavra. Photo: a screenshot / youtube.com / Anatoly Shariy
There are people who do not like the fact that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church wants to reconcile the people, not separate them. Hieromonk Gabriel, the press secretary of the Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra, spoke about this in the film “UOC. From ‘Separs in Lavras’ to Incitement and Forgiveness”, made by “Shariy.net” journalists.
According to the hieromonk, nowhere can one find information that the UOC has taken away a church from someone, since "this is a completely different spirit, here is the spirit of the Gospel, the spirit of peace".
“The Сhurch is carrying out the ministry of reconciliation,” stressed the press secretary of the Pochaiv Monastery. “However, there are people who do not like it, that the Church wants to reconcile the people, not separate them. Imagine how diverse our country is – Bukovyna, Transcarpathia, Volyn, Polissya, Galicia, Podillya, Central Ukraine, Kyiv region, Poltava region, Chernihiv region, Kharkiv region, Donbas... And we all find a common language, no matter what dialect a person speaks, we accept everybody. Because the foundation of our communion is Christ, the love of Christ, the peace of God. But there are people who don't like it."
He added that since 2014, the Pochaev Lavra has endured a lot of slander, defamation, and even direct threats.
“’You are FSB agents in cassocks,’ they said to our faces. The deputies of the City Council were intimidated in our presence, and in their presence, they called us all sorts of names, threatened, they say, ‘I will come to your yard with a gun’ and the like. <...> The seizure of churches started around the Lavra. As I understand it, people cannot show real results, that the country is developing positively, that they are embodying some constructive ideas, and have decided to revenge on the weak – it is clear that we will not use physical force in the Church,” Hieromonk Gabriel said.
The UOJ also wrote that, according to the head of the UOC, for all the lies against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, there are much more people in temples.
Read also
UOC starts Easter charity drive to support children of displaced families
The UOC has launched a charity initiative: 2,000 Easter kulichi will be delivered to children from displaced families, to orphans and boarding-school pupils, and to families in front-line regions.
Volodymyr city authorities formalizing transfer of UOC chapel to OCU
During a briefing, the mayor of Volodymyr in Volyn Region reported on the progress of paperwork to transfer the UOC chapel dedicated to St Volodymyr into OCU ownership.
President’s Office head celebrates Purim with Jews
Kyrylo Budanov and his deputy, Iryna Mudra, visited Kyiv’s Jewish community.
OCU delegation hands gifts to Patriarch Bartholomew from Epifaniy Dumenko
An OCU delegation visited the residence of the head of the Patriarchate of Constantinople at the Phanar to congratulate Patriarch Bartholomew on his birthday and deliver gifts.
Middle Eastern Christians face growing threat amid Iran war, advocates warn
A Catholic rights organization says a fresh escalation could push the region’s Christian communities to the brink of disappearance.
German McDonald's removes food from adverts until sunset over Ramadan
In Germany, during the Muslim fast, a fast-food chain hides food images in advertising during the day and shows them only in the evening.