UOC hierarch: We remain Church and don’t fight even when temples taken away
The events that the Church is going through are a great blessing of God because every person becomes their true self, says Metropolitan Anthony.
Our Church remains the Church, and even if temples are taken away from us, we do not fight but build new ones, said the UOC Chancellor, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Boryspil and Brovary, at the opening of the exhibition "The Ukrainian Orthodox Church at the Service of God and People" on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of granting the Letter of independence and self-governance to the UOC by Patriarch Alexy II. A video report about the event is prepared by "1kozaktv".
“The Church has always been persecuted, and it is in this persecution that the Church develops,” the Metropolitan noted. “Because with all these difficulties over the past years, when the state authorities have used all the possibilities to somehow restrict the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, nevertheless, people go to church, the number of churches is increasing, more and more people are going to churches".
According to Metropolitan Anthony, this means that the Church remains the Church, “we are not hiding behind any other ideas or ideologies. And as long as we preach Christ, and the Church remains the Church as the Body of Christ, She will exist, despite persecutions or any restrictions because people come to the church to God."
The events that the Church is going through are a great blessing of God because each person becomes their true self.
“When we talk about the internal source of the Church's development, we feel that the Lord did not punish us with these events that we are experiencing, but this is a great blessing of God for our Church. Because every person becomes themselves, a priest, a bishop makes a decision – he is with Christ and with the Church and values the oath that he gave, or vice versa – for him these are just attributes of how to live this earthly life,” he explained.
Metropolitan Anthony stressed that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the Church of the Ukrainian people.
“We are worried about our people, we are concerned. This is our pain when there is war, when there is suffering. Even when temples are taken away in our parishes in villages, we do not fight. Took the temple? We are building our own temple. Although our believers built that temple. In order to give the opportunity to those people: do you want to live like this? You are welcome. It is, you know, like the Lord. He does not by force lead people to salvation in a column of one or two. He says: do you want to be with Me? Believe, love, endure, be merciful – then you are Mine. If you don’t want it, it’s your choice,” said the UOC Chancellor.
As reported, on October 27, 2020, within the framework of the XII International Scientific and Practical Conference "Spiritual and Secular Education: History of Relationships – Present – Prospects”, the KTAS Museum opened the exhibition "Ukrainian Orthodox Church at the service of God and people". The exhibition will run until early 2021, admission is free.
