Primate of the UOC speaks about Ukraine, state authority, peace and hope

Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev and All Ukraine considers himself a monk, above all. The Primate of the UOC appears little on television and almost never gives interviews. He prefers prayers and good deeds to words. His Beatitude provides guidance in his sermons. Foma (Thomas) in Ukraine published statements of the Primate of the UOC from his sermons and interviews.

About Ukraine

Ukraine is a multiethnic country. Here live Ukrainians, Russians, Romanians, Moldavians, Tatars and representatives of other nations. And we need to learn to respect each other's culture. I have always tried to respect the culture and customs of all the ethnic communities. Not because of any diplomatic considerations, but because God teaches us to love and respect each person as he/she is. Such respectful treatment always causes a positive reaction.

About Ukrainians

All those virtues that Ukrainian people have, all that greatness that they have acquired in the history, root in Orthodoxy. All this is the fruit of the Orthodox life of our people. To keep this dignity, this greatness, we need to keep the faith which gave us this greatness.

About the Church

The Church today is probably the only remaining link, which connects the East and the West, maintains national unity in the country. Every priest knows that in Christ ethnic, social and other differences fade into the background. Every man for us is the image of God that we must love and honor. But it is one thing to know and another thing – to implement this knowledge in life.

About state authorities

The Church always stands up for the part of the society that cannot protect itself from self-will out of poverty. And mediation function of the Church is to remind the authorities that there is a problem, that there are people who need help. State power, according to the teachings of the Church, is service to its citizens and to the Motherland. The path that the Church preaches and insists on is a peaceful resolution of all issues.

About peace

If there is no peace in society, then there is no Christ in the heart of society. For the nation must be unanimous; it must seek true values, find them and unite rather than separate. Then we won’t have what we are witnessing in our turbulent times.

About hope

A man comes with something in hope to get some response. And the main essence of all the answers is to kindle in a person hope in God's mercy, to get him away from discouragement, from breakdown. If hope is reborn in a man, then he rises slowly and gradually slowly and begins to live.

Personal spiritual growth

The task of a Christian on earth is not only to come to the Church, but also to grow spiritually, to work on one’s self. They’ve come to the Church, and it does not matter who stands at what level – at a very high level or at a very low one – all need to work on themselves. This is the main problem, the eternal problem. While there is life on earth, there is the problem.

About God’s love for man

All that God does is at His love for man, at His mercy, at His will for a man to become better.

About the will of God

The first thought is the will of God. But in order to understand which the first and which the second is one should have a certain spiritual level. It is necessary to choose the will of God through prayer, to pray even in the state, which we have at the moment. If you feel stormy, pray: "Lord, You know better how." And God regulates. God knows how to do it.

About patience

Do not go for the spirit of the world. We must tolerate each other for what we are: very good, less good, evil, very evil – still endure. Patience is the first form of love, and love leads one to improvement.

About information

The key to a missionary is not information, but a prayer. If you dilute everything with prayer, including information, then even if we have a gap in the information and this gap is due to prayer, God will regulate and you will answer better than when having the information.

About the attitude to life

There are people who live day-to-day, and every day for them is as the last. They say, "I will pray today because there might be no tomorrow in my life. I’ll do something good today, because tomorrow there might be no such a possibility." Those people who live through the day as if it were the last have a good soil of their heart.