Drabinko condemned the Cossacks' occupation of the "Filaret Brothers" temple in Crimea
Kyiv, June 02 (Navigator, Vladimir Mikhailov) – Metropolitan Alexander Drabinko, considered the informal leader of the autocephalous group of the UOC-MP, issued a sharp statement in which he condemned the seizure of the UOC-KP church by the Cossacks in the village of Perevalnoye (Crimea).
On his Facebook page, Alexander (Drabinko) wrote that the seizure of the UOC-KP temple has the potential to destroy interfaith peace in Ukraine.
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“As secretary to the primate and bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, I declare the following:
1 . The actions of the persons who entered the temple of the UOC-KP and committed an act of vandalism there violate not only the laws of Ukraine, on whose territory this unfortunate incident occurred, but also the eternal commandments, which means everyone who took part in this shameful action are criminals, both from the point of view from the point of view of secular law, and from the point of view of Christian ethics and church law;
2. In the Message of the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, which was adopted at the Phanar in March 2014 (point 3, which concerns the situation in Ukraine), the threats of “the violent seizure of holy monasteries and churches” were clearly condemned, and the hope was also expressed for the return of “our brothers located today outside of church fellowship.” The event that everyone is hearing today is far from what was declared by the Ecumenical Council Mind.
3. His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir has always emphasized that the wound of church division can be healed exclusively through a dialogue of love, which excludes manifestations of violence and coercion. Thus, the persons who attacked the church of the UOC-KP deliberately disregarded the position of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and violated his will;
4 . Having examined the actions of the attackers in the context of the current religious situation, we note that they have all the characteristic features of a political provocation, the purpose of which is to disrupt the fragile interfaith peace in our country;
5 . Addressing our brothers in Christ, with whom we do not have prayerful and Eucharistic communion today, I sincerely apologize for the crime committed by persons who consider themselves representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate and ask them to show wisdom by refraining from mutual violent actions against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church .
Ukraine strives for social and church unity, for which the Primate of our Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir, offers his prayers to the Lord every day. Let us not allow external political forces to provoke a new wave of violence in our country. Let's defend interfaith peace in Ukraine.
Great, One God, save Ukraine for us.”
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