Patriarch of Bulgaria: The purpose of burning the temple is to sow enmity

On February 114, 2018, Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Patriarch Neophyte forwarded a letter to Chancellor of Lvov eparchy Archbishop Philaret, in which he expresses strong criticism for the arson of the temple of Holy Prince Vladimir-Equal-to-the-Apostles in Lvov. The Patriarch is convinced that the aim of those who committed an anti-Christian act was to sow enmity among the Ukrainians, reports the press-service of the UOC eparchy.

"We categorically condemn this barbarous act and urge the competent authorities to counteract such negative phenomena in your homeland by their own forces," Patriarch Neophyte said.

In the opinion of the Archpastor, the arson of the temple is an anti-Christian act, the purpose of which is to spread enmity and hatred among Ukrainian citizens.

"The Church of Christ has always preached peace and love among all people, but the enemy of the human race corrupts the world from the beginning, as a result of which we become witnesses of discrimination, persecution of Christians and the destruction of Orthodox shrines," he stressed.

"This abominable act of desecrating God's house is a real testimony that you, along with the flock entrusted to you, go by way of salvation, against which evil rises, wishing to sow sadness and despair into people's hearts," the message says. "The unquenchable pain of this criminal act in Lvov is also our pain, which is revealed through the graceful connection in which our sister Churches are."

The Bulgarian First Hierarch assured that he and his flock are "praying warmly to God for Orthodox Christians of the eparchy entrusted to you" and "we sincerely believe that the efforts of the persecutors of Christ will not stand in the way to the peaceful and saving service of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in these difficult times."

Earlier the Archpastors of the Serbian, Greek, Montenegrin, Czech, Polish Orthodox Churches, as well as Abbot of Athos monastery Xenophon condemned the actions of the arsonists of the UOC church in Lvov.

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