Archimandrite Viktor (Kotsaba): people who discredit Cross Procession-2016 cannot be called patriots and Ukrainians

We are living in such a time when good deeds are disgraced. When believers get together in order to hold All-Ukrainian Cross Procession-2016, there are forces that counteract it. It was reported by head of Kiev Metropolitan’s Office Administration Archimandrite Viktor (Kotsaba), as reported by the Press-Service of Kiev Metropolitan’s Office.

“We are living in the time when good and pious deeds get discredited. When people gather for a Cross Procession to move from one great sanctity to another and dedicate this Procession to the common cause of peace, love, and forgiveness – there are forces that counteract it. The faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church demand the arrival of eventual peace in Ukraine. Yet the forces which view and interpret it in their own way pursue disintegration of the state rather than its unity and consolidation. Unfortunately, these actors cannot be considered patriots and Ukrainians. They betray an idea of “allegiance to the state and its nation”, declared the Archimandrite.    

“The aim of the Cross Procession is one – praying for peace, unity, and mutual understanding in Ukraine. The Procession has brought together a lot of the UOC believers in all regions; one should make huge efforts to cover nearly full distance from the West to the East of Ukraine to meet in the heart of the country – the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. During this Procession people offer prayers to the Queen of Heaven and ask Her to bestow God’s help for our country”, he underscored.      

This year All-Ukrainian Cross Procession, which His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry has called to participate in everybody who is able to, seeks to unite all the participants in prayer. We believe if God can hear two or three persons praying to Him, He will definitely hear prayers of plenty of Christians who, on top of that, sacrifice their time, strength, and even health. We know at different periods of history our Lord could hear people’s prayers, gave them what they asked Him for and relieved their hardships as long as they were unanimous in their appeals”, emphasized Archimandrite Viktor.         

It will be reminded on the 3^rd of July began All-Ukrainian Cross Procession which will cover dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with prayer for Ukraine. The Procession starts from two points – from the East (the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra) and the West (the Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra) on July 9. Two streams of our faithful will move towards each other to meet in Kiev on Vladimir Hill on the feast day of St. Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, and Christening of Rus and then to make for the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra .

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