Kyivan Patriarchate Calls to Pray for Patriarch Kirill Not to Act Slyly
KYIV – The Kyivan Patriarchate made public in the form of official statements its attitude to the planned visit to Ukraine of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and to the church-state relations in Ukraine. Stressing the political character of the activity of the head of Patriarch Kirill, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate called the faithful and adherents to come on July 28 to a celebratory Liturgy in the Cathedral of St. Volodymyr of the UOC-KP and participate in the religious procession to the Monument to Prince Volodymyr.
"We call all the faithful and adherents to come to the service and religious procession to pray together to God for Ukraine, the Kyivan Patriarchate, the state, and the nation. And for Patriarch Kirill for the Lord to give him wisdom and strength not to act slyly, but to act for the good of Orthodoxy and not for the sake of geopolitical plans of ruling the ‘Russian world,’” reads the document published by the press service of the UOC-KP.
According to the statement, Patriarch Kirill simply "is choking Ukraine in a ‘brotherly embrace’ and the Ukrainian Church along with it. "The year which has passed since his first visit proved that the Patriarch of Moscow seeks also to destroy the independence and sovereignty of the UOC-MP [Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate] in its government so that he can strengthen his power," says the Kyivan Patriarchate.
The representatives of the Kyivan Patriarchate stated that taking into account the desires and ambitions of Patriarch Kirill, they expect "nothing good" of his next visit to Ukraine.
"We will again hear political statements, curses for the Ukrainian nation for the ‘support of schismatics.’ The patriarch will flatter the new Ukrainian regime and push it to settle existing arguments forcefully. On his instruction his subordinates will continue to look for traitors among the clergy of the Kyivan Patriarchate and proclaim that there is a ‘desire of many schismatics to return to the Moscow Patriarchate,’" predict the Kyivan Patriarchate representatives.
