11.07.2007, [13:14] // UOC-KP // RISU.ORG/UA
Ivano-Frankivsk — Patriarch Filaret (Denysenko), head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP), has called for the establishment of a unified, national Ukrainian Orthodox church independent of Moscow and Constantinople. He said this on 7 July 2007 as he spoke to laity at the Maniavskyi Skete Monastery in western Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk Region.
“Our Orthodox church is divided now,” said Patriarch Filaret. “This is a great problem not only for the great Ukrainian Orthodox church. First of all, it is a problem for our state. For a state with ruined spiritual foundations (I mean a divided Orthodox church) cannot exist for long.”
According to him, “the present task of both church and state is to establish one Orthodox church, autonomous and independent from Moscow and Constantinople.” The hierarch believes that “this spiritual foundation will allow our young Ukrainian state to step confidently into the future.”
Patriarch Filaret is convinced that “if the spirituality of our nation changes, no hostile forces will overcome our Ukrainian state… God gave us independence as a gift, and, therefore, we should thank Him for that and use that gift as a precious one… By establishing one national Orthodox church, we will strengthen our Ukrainian state. And we will all live better in this Ukrainian land of plenty.”
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