UOC Primate: We love our politicians but cannot follow them

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev and All Ukraine

The Church respects its politicians, but if it indulges in the sinful desires of those in power, it will cease to be a Church, declared His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev and All Ukraine.

“We love our politicians and respect them, but we cannot follow them. Otherwise, we will cease to be a Church, turn into a political organization and the days of our existence will be numbered by God,” said the Primate of the UOC in an interview with the Shepherd and Flock journal.

He stressed that the state is following a post-revolutionary course that breaks away from God. And although politicians pray and go to churches, but “there are forces that make our believing politicians pass laws that promote the naturalaization and legalization of sin.” Such politicians want to tune the Church to the rhythm of their life,“ assures His Beatitude Onufriy.  “They want to create a Single Local Orthodox Church, which would indulge them and push people, who are moving to God, to the path they, unfortunately, chose to go themselves.”

The Primate believes that if one embarks on such a course, then soon each political force will be willing to have its own Local Church, which would “obey this party and force God to fulfill its political desires.”

“The one who believes in God, but at the same time is obsessed about the Local Church, does not entrust himself to God, but lives according to his own way of thinking,” reminded Metropolitan Onufriy.

On October 14, 2018 President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said that the anathema imposed by the ROC, is recognition of special services to Ukraine. On October 19, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo called on the authorities to continue moving towards autocephaly.

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