UOC bishop on Law 8371: There is no disaster, the Lord saves us via trials

Metropolitan Boholep of Oleksandriya and Svitlovodsk. Photo: Screenshot from the bishop's YouTube channel

On August 20, 2024, when Parliament adopted the anti-church bill No. 8371 in its second reading, Metropolitan Boholep of Oleksandriya and Svitlovodsk addressed believers on his YouTube channel with words of support.

“I know that today’s news causes great concern among our believers and our priests. I would like to emphasize right away that there is no disaster. Rather, there is, but it has been ongoing for many decades, evidently, and will continue for a long time. This catastrophe is the change in humanity,” the bishop said.

In his opinion, nothing ends these days; everything is only beginning: “We lived before this bill, and we will definitely live after its adoption.”

The hierarch of the UOC recommends perceiving the situation from a spiritual perspective, as only the Lord knows the reasons and consequences of what is happening. For Orthodox Christians, this is also a period of losing false illusions, particularly concerning church-state relations and certain individuals who were baptized in the Church but have now become its persecutors.

“Each of us makes our choice. Today, of course, I would like to ask more questions of myself and all those who consider themselves members of our Church. We can ask ourselves, why did this happen? What are the reasons? I am sure the reasons did not arise yesterday, or even 10 years ago. The reasons probably emerged earlier. They are rooted in our attitude towards life,” he said.

The bishop emphasized that the UOC will defend its rights at various levels, but “we must not forget about the narrow, thorny, but salvific path that leads to eternal life.”

“I would like to emphasize once again, my friends, we must be Christians. We must approach all such seemingly terrible challenges from today’s world very calmly and reasonably. We must understand that the goal of our life is not to save this perishing world but to save ourselves from this world, so as not to perish with it,” the metropolitan noted.

Bishop Boholep pointed out that while many today consider themselves winners, they simply forget that “no one can defeat Christ, no one can forbid Christ; the Risen Christ will not be taken away from us.”

According to the UOC hierarch, the Lord gives us this trial so that we may become true and better through our sufferings.

“I ask you, my dear ones, do not despair, do not lose heart. We pray, we work, we save ourselves. We repair churches, we build churches, we create new projects. Our life continues. Under no circumstances should you shut yourselves off, and do not think that you can somehow avoid what the Lord has determined for all of us to go through. Let us be obedient to His will, let us be devoted to His will, and let us carry His difficult and very complicated blessings with joy and obedience,” he concluded.

Earlier, MP Artem Dytruk stated from the rostrum of the Rada that no laws would prevent us from visiting our churches.

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