UOC hierarch calls 4 ways to make Ukraine prosperous
On Independence Day of Ukraine, everyone wishes our homeland prosperity, but to achieve this in practice, one needs to work selflessly, Metropolitan Anthony noted.
The UOC Chancellor, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Borispol and Brovary, told about 4 things to be done in order for Ukraine to develop and prosper, Vesti online publication reported.
“Firstly, one needs to become a true patriot,” His Eminence Anthony noted.
In his opinion, the essence of such patriotism was best explained by the Primate of the UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine.
“Patriotism manifests itself in that if I am a patriot, then I want good for my land, I want good for my people. How to get these benefits? Who is the giver of these goods? This is the Lord! The Lord gives blessings, not we,” the hierarch quoted the Primate’s words. “And this is the case with everyone: if I serve God faithfully, follow God's commandments, rules, laws, then I am a patriot, the best one, because through me, a sinner, who tries to comply with these laws, God’s blessing comes onto our entire land and its people."
The second step towards the prosperity of Ukraine should be honest, selfless and hard work “in the place where God has ordained each of us,” continued Metropolitan Anthony.
“Let's imagine that we are all works of a large and complex clock. If at least one element fails, then the overall process will be spoilt. The mechanism will work intermittently. Or show the wrong time. A similar situation is with our homeland. If we are not demanding of ourselves, care-taking and committed to our native land, then things will go awry,” he said.
But if everyone does their job in a good faith, then there will be no serious problems like corruption, stagnation of the economy, the collapse of the social sphere, etc. or they will be less large-scale, the hierarch of the canonical Church drew attention to the flock.
“Thirdly, it is extremely important to properly educate our children. In this regard, it must be recognized – if we want to grow up decent citizens who would love and be proud of their homeland and also be ready to devote their best impulses and capacity to serve their native land, we ourselves need to become such worthy citizens so that children, viewing us as a role model, would develop in the right moral direction and reach for the right values,” he emphasized.
According to Metropolitan Anthony, it is always necessary to love one another from the bottom of our hearts, forgive insults and weaknesses, and remember that we are all brothers.
“This is the guarantee of our common prosperity and our future, because, as St. Filaret (Drozdov) said, ‘the state is a big family’,” Vladyka Anthony concluded.
Earlier, he said that due to the efforts of the Primate of the UOC, 15 Ukrainian soldiers were released from captivity.
