Metropolitan Hilarion: the relationship with the Uniates overshadowed by the invasion of the Ukraine
Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholics (Uniates) marred their aggressive actions, the establishment of the Crimean and Lugansk exarchates and Ukrainian dissenters also sometimes openly demonstrate hostility to the canonical Church ", although she patiently awaits their return, said the head of the Department for external Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk in an interview Last news on the occasion of the election of a New Metropolitan of Kiev.
Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine Vladimir, who held the chair Since 1992, died on 5 July. New first Hierarch of the canonical (recognized world Orthodoxy) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) is obliged to choose on August 13, Cathedral of its bishops. From the newly elected Primate of the UOC-MP will largely depend on the further its Relations With other denominations, the Orthodox rite in Ukraine - the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), subordinate to the Vatican, and the schismatic Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) and the self-proclaimed Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP).
" Regret to note that Relations With the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church marred many cases of aggressive behavior Uniates during the events on Maidan, the facts of violence against Orthodox priests and active proselytizing of the Uniate clergy. Not conducive to dialogue and also started the UGCC expansion manifested in the establishment of the Crimean and Lugansk exarchates, " said Metropolitan Hilarion.
according to him, " the secessionists and the Uniates want to take advantage of the situation in terms of political discord and fratricidal civil war, to weaken the canonical Orthodoxy." But, whatever the intentions of the hostile forces, they did Not materialize, because the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the only religious power, Not taking any side in the conflict and is able to unite the Ukrainian people ", - noted the head of the Department.
He said that even in the current environment, when Authorized " breakaway From the Church community sometimes openly demonstrate hostility to the canonical Church, it is his Attitude doesn't change." As a loving mother, she With patience and prayer waiting for softening hard hearts and the return of the lost, " added the Commissioner of the Moscow Patriarchate.
according to him, the UOC-MP is the largest Christian denomination in the square of Ukraine and has more than eleven thousand parishes." The so-called " Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church unite approximately 4 thousand parishes each. The number of parishes of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church " even more modest - about a thousand, " said Metropolitan Hilarion.
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