Christmas Briefing of Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich): East of Ukraine is linked to West just like Complin is linked to Liturgy

He said that there would be a Divine Liturgy the next day, which would continue for 2 ½ hours. The service will be led by His Beatitude Onuphriy.

Metropolitan Anthony summed up the previous church year. “This year was particularly hard for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and our believers, as well as all Ukrainian people. Our citizens keep dying, lots have been left without accommodation, there are almost no means to livelihood, all these being rather painful to our Church, since most citizens, based in the East of Ukraine, are parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” emphasized His Eminence.

He told the Church has been taking lots of efforts to somehow better the lot of displaced persons. “We even help them with employment, dispatch plenty of humanitarian aid, and provide assistance to our military with medication and clothes.”

The hierarch also stressed the previous year was special for the UOC due to the celebration of 1000 anniversary of the Russian monkhood on Athos. “All-Ukrainian Cross Procession, held in the summer, has to do namely with this fact. It was the Procession of peace and unity of the Ukrainian nation,” said the Metropolitan.

Metropolitan Anthony was asked a question: Could you name the person of the year? “I thought for a while and recalled the girls who were walking in the Cross Procession from the very beginning to the very end. One is from Kramatorsk, the other is from Dubno, Rovno region. They met in the capital together with the columns. It seems to me the faces of these girls, faces of our people who are striving for peace and, being faithful, they do everything so that God could hear them and give our nation harmony and love,” he said.

“The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a Church of the Ukrainian nation. It is concerned about Eternity. We all feel patriotic and responsible for the future; therefore, we do everything what is in the Church’s power. I do not mean politics. The Church can pray, ask, help, reconcile. The main task of the Church of Jesus Christ is to seek peace, brought to this world by the Savior,” explained Metropolitan Anthony.

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