Bishop Nathanael: They persecute their neighbor but claim to be Christians

Bishop Nathanael of Volyn and Lutsk

One thing is a declaration of the rights of believers, and another is real life, in which the rule of might is applied. Bishop Nathanael (Krikota) of Volyn and Lutsk spoke about it in an interview with the Lavra. Way of salvation channel.

“Our biggest pain is that the rights of believers are declared to be observed exactly in the same way as everyone else’s, but in fact we see quite a different thing. Led by the village chairmen, they just come and seize the temples,” said the hierarch.

According to him, national ideology comes first with the invaders of temples of the canonical Church in Volyn, and only then come issues of faith.

“They do not approach the problem of why we do not want to join the OCU from the standpoint of faith, reason, but from the standpoint of an unbelieving person who does not go to church. Such a person cannot understand a believer that they live for the sake of God, for the sake of eternity. <...> The UOC believers are labeled as “Moskals” to show them they are to blame. We constantly go to the Church of Christ, pray to God, pray for our family, for all the people, for all of Ukraine – how can we be blamed for this? Therefore, one needs to stick a label. Just take a look at these faithful people who live on our Ukrainian land – how can such nonsense come to mind that they serve another state? It’s funny and tragic at the same time,” added Vladyka Nathanael.

According to the ruling hierarch of the Volyn Eparchy, the believers who get driven out of their churches – “people who do not understand theology very much but feel the truth and grace of the Church” – have to pray in houses where they feel even greater gracious power.

“I would like to see some part of them (supporters of the OCU – Ed.) open their eyes to the reality and stop grabbing our temples. I do not hope there is any faith in their hearts but I hope they have at least some conscience. We don’t want anything supernatural, but we want elementary things – to be given a possibility to pray in our own temples,” he stressed.

Unfortunately, it makes no sense talking to those who, due to active anti-church propaganda, resent the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its believers.

“The rule of might is working now instead of the rule of right. They see that they (supporters of the OCU – Ed.) constitute the majority and no longer want to listen to their fellow villagers with whom they have lived in the same locality all their lives. If you think differently from me, I want to oust you –these are the principles. You can't call them human, but at the same time that majority claims to be Christians. Where is Christianity? You are persecuting your neighbor, who has lived here all his life for his having a different opinion,” added the bishop of the UOC.

His Grace recalled the words of one of the saints that if you see heresies and schisms, you must know they come from religious ignorance.

“People are hardly educated in religious terms. If a person knew what a schism is, that it is a grave sin against the Church of Christ – he would have rejected it. If people had such a religious education and basic knowledge of theology, would they drive their fellow villagers out of the temple?” he stressed.

The hierarch expressed the conviction that the faithful of the canonical Church should drink the cup of patience to the very end and continue to zealously carry out their Christian mission, for "if we act by such methods as the opposite side, then we will not be Christians".

“I hope that the renewed Church is emerging, which will be the impetus for a stronger evangelical life, because now the Gospel life is just a form, but there is no substance,” concluded Bishop Nathanael of Volyn and Lutsk.

As the UOJ reported, earlier the ruling hierarch of the Volyn Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Bishop Nathanael of Volyn and Lutsk, met with the parish rectors, whose temples had been seized by schismatics, thanking the clergy for their fortitude in faith and conscientious pastoral ministry in difficult times for the Church.

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