The head of the Polish Orthodox Church was forced to apologize for the letter to the Patriarch of Moscow
The head of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Archbishop Sava, publicly asked for forgiveness for sending a letter to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' with congratulations on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of his enthronement.
After this congratulation, some media outlets called for a change in the head of Polish Orthodoxy, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
In a message released on February 4, Archbishop Sawa noted that “the traditional personal letter has caused a number of comments and concerns among some believers of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church.”
The archbishop went on to say that he condemns the “criminal invasion of independent Ukraine by the Russian Federation.” “I have repeatedly expressed my surprise and embarrassment at the words of Patriarch Kirill about the war in Ukraine. I do not share his opinion and believe that it does not serve to restore peace in Ukraine and negatively affects the perception of Orthodoxy,” he added.
As Archbishop Sava pointed out, the “perspective of the last days” showed that “he was wrong and the situation required greater caution.” “Therefore, I express regret that I caused such a big stir in the media, subjecting the community of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church to undeserved pain,” the hierarch noted.
“In the spirit of the forgiven resurrection approaching in our Church, I appeal to you, brothers and sisters in Christ, and to all my compatriots: forgive me, a sinner,” Archbishop Sava concluded his message.
Earlier, Witold Jurasz, a columnist for the liberal Polish portal Onet, wrote:
“Archbishop Sava’s congratulatory letter, unfortunately, is scandalous in content and form, and morally shameful. This letter should lead to confrontation in the ranks of Orthodox Poles and Polish citizens. In my opinion, the result should be a change in the head of the Polish Orthodox Church.”
Как reported “PolitNavigator”, Patriarch Kirill commented on the calls coming from the West for the dismemberment of Russia and the provision of offensive weapons to Ukraine.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.