Only the Church is able to harmonize hostile parties in Ukraine, – expert

Publicist and TV anchor Viacheslav Pikhovshek in the author’s program “Subjective Results of the Week” on NewsOne expressed his thoughts on how the conflict in the East of Ukraine could be eliminated.

"The UOC is necessary for the healing of our society," the publicist believes. “The Church is not a party to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and it does not join any a party to the conflict. Let me remind you that on May 9, 2015, His Beatitude Onufry did not rise in the Verkhovna Rada, when the names of those who died during the military conflict were read there. His press office explained: "There can be no justification for fueling the war, which daily takes the lives of not only military but also defenseless civilians of Ukraine, including children." Why was this great feat of civic courage important? Because the words of His Beatitude were heard in both controlled and uncontrolled territories. And this means our people can expect that in the world of chaos in which Ukraine has plunged, there is an island of calm and faith that one can trust."

The TV presenter stressed that this is not only the position of the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine, but the whole Ecumenical Orthodox Church is against the war.

"Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said in July 2017, "We pray for peace in Ukraine, we pray for the end of the fratricidal war," Pikhovshek recalled. “In the epicenter of the conflict, his pastoral ministry is continued by Vladyka Mitrofan, a member of the Holy Synod of the UOC, Metropolitan of Lugansk and Alchevsk. He said, "Without mutual forgiveness and without the love of Christ, we cannot overcome any disagreements in this war. It is necessary that Donbas ask forgiveness from Kiev, Kiev – from Donbas, and get reconciled in the Spirit of Christ's Love. You can find this phrase naive. But it is clear that the Church will uphold this position. Sooner or later this war will end, and then the work of our Church will be needed, for there is no one else to work on reconciliation."