Patriarch Filaret extends condolences to the victims of crashed Malaysian Airlines plane and condemned terrorists

On July 17, 2014, as a result of fire from the territory controlled by pro-Kremlin terrorists in the skies over Donbas a Malaysian Airlines plane crashed, 298 people were killed. Patriarch Filaret of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine expressed condolences to the families and friends of the victims and called for prayer.

“What happened in the skies over  Donbas is a terrible tragedy. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of 298 victims, and the peoples of the Netherlands, Malaysia and other countries whose citizens died because of a terrorist attack on the plane. We pray for God's mercy to the victims, for alleviation of mental suffering of their families and friends”, said the Primate of the Kiev Patriarchate.

“Based on the available information the cause of the disaster was the attack by pro-Kremlin terrorists, who took the passenger jet for aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Therefore, beside the direct perpetrators of the crime, the moral responsibility for it lies with those who has planned, unleashed and supports now the military aggression against Ukraine, wages the undeclared, but a brutal and bloody war on our state.

At the time when the international community, along with Ukraine, is trying to do everything possible to stop the bloodshed in Donbas, the Russian side does not stop the flow of material, financial, informational and ideological support of the aggression, and sends mercenaries and soldiers, heavy weapons, fires position is Ukrainian troops directly on Russian territory.

Such actions are a crime under the law of men and a terrible sin before God. The Kyiv Patriarchate once again urges the Russian authorities to repent and stop criminal aggression against Ukraine”, said Patriarch Filaret.

“Falsehood entails murder, for the devil, as the Scripture says, is the father of lies and a killer of man. And whoever chooses falsehood, he becomes a servant of the devil and calls on himself the wrath of God and retribution for the evil committed”.

I urge the believers to pray for the repose of all the innocent who died in this war, for termination of bloodshed and establishment of a just peace”, said the Patriarch, according to the UOC-KP press-service.