Kyiv Patriarchate urges UOC-MP to refuse from participation in Slavic Unity Festival
The UOC-KP addressed to the UOC-MP clergymen with a proposal to refuse from going to the festival of Slavic unity held annually in late June at the junction of three countries: Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, near Senkovka settlement of Horodnya district, Chernihiv region. Kyiv Patriarchate grounds its request with the fact that Russia has initiated against Ukraine war and the celebration of the Slavic unity against this background is a blasphemy and an insult both of the present and the past, states the UOC-KP official website.
The Kyiv Patriarchate states that the celebration in the borderline triangle was initiated in the late 1960s to support the ideology of the ‘indissoluble unity of the three fraternal peoples’. This year, the Ukrainian authorities refused from participation in this celebration.
“And while this issue has been solved unambiguously at the level of state, it remains in question at the church level whether the bishops and clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate will take part in the festivities. They were also invited by the Moscow Patriarchate for ceremonial performance of laying foundation of a church dedicated to the Holy Trinity in Russian territory,” goes the statement of the UOC-KP press service.
“Having chosen such consecration of a new church, the Russian side obviously implies the idea of equality between the unity of the Holy Trinity and the unity of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, which is heretical in its essence, but is rather widespread in the circles of the Russian Orthodox fundamentalists. “Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are the Holy Rus”, this is a formula that a self-proclaimed “schemamonk Kheruvim” Dehtyar attributes to Reverend Laurentiy of Chernihiv, and it was publicly supported by Patriarch Kirill. Therefore an act of church founding, being formally good in its essence, has not merely political, but also heretical implication,” the UOC-KP noted.
The Kyiv Patriarchate therefore hopes that the UOC-MP representatives will be wise enough not to be led by the Moscow Patriarchate and not to cover the shame of the Kremlin with their participation in the festivities in the Russian territory.
“The leaders and spokespersons of the UOC -MP has repeatedly emphasized their patriotic position regarding Ukraine. But patriotism shall be confirmed by deeds, and the past actions might be overscored by the actions of today,” states the press service.
“Ukraine and Russia shall have to restore normal neighborly relations. But for that purpose the Kremlin should end war against Ukraine, withdraw its commandos and mercenaries and leave the annexed Crimea. Such world will be just. And it is a blasphemy and insult both of the past and the present to pretend that we can celebrate the ‘Slavic Unity’, while Russia is waging war on Ukraine,” states the Kyiv Patriarchate.
