UOC priest: Honestly to say not "have an abortion" but "kill your child"

Archpriest Alexander Klimenko. Photo: screenshot / youtube.com / Ukrainian Orthodox Church

It would be honest if a woman were told not to “have an abortion” or “terminate the pregnancy”, but “kill your child,” says Archpriest Alexander Klimenko, a priest of the UOC. Father Alexander's spiritual reflections on the theme of the family, the birth of a new life and the challenges of the modern world were published by the UOC Information and Education Department.

Congratulating the faithful on the feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, the clergyman urged them to think about whether we celebrate the life that the Mother of God reveals.

“When we look at the image of the Most Holy Theotokos, we see Her as the Mother Who cares about Her children, the Mother Who, as you remember from the life of Christ for the sake of the holy fool Saint Andrew and Blessed Epiphany, prays to the Creator with a desire that He will listen to the prayers of all those for whom She prays,” said Father Alexander. “At the same time, She says that He will listen to all those who honour His Name but pray to Him via Her.”

The Mother of God is the image of all those who have felt the gift of motherhood, the priest added.

According to him, he is often approached by the women who their closest people – the husband, parents – instead of rejoicing at the birth of a new life, persuade her to have an abortion and "push to sin, to murder". He noted that he admires those women who, despite the pressure and circumstances, protect the life that has arisen in them, no matter how hard it is for them.

“In Ukraine during the period of independence, according to various estimates, between 30 and 40 million abortions have been made,” the archpriest said. “People do not realize that a new life, given by God, has arisen within them, and they think that they can dispose of it. They think that the Mother of God, who covers the whole earth with Her Veil, will have mercy on everyone, regardless of how a person lives. But is it possible to correct the murder of a small child who is in your womb and cannot protect itself in any way? Is it possible to justify the decision of a father or grandmother who says: have an abortion, terminate the pregnancy? Indeed, it would be honest to say: kill this child."

Father Alexander stressed that future parents’ vocabulary, first of all, should include the phrase “birth of life”, and urged “not to think that any evil committed by us will simply dissolve somewhere in the past”: “Lord, if one day we come to repentance, will forgive us our sins, forgive a crime, but we cannot live with it. That's for sure!".

“If this world is not changed by you and me, brothers and sisters, then it will not change in a good way by itself. I wish you joy in Christ! I wish that on such days as the day of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, we remember the problems that prevent us from seeing her Immaculate Image every day, the image that at one time Blessed Andrew the Fool-for-Christ was honoured to see. May God grant us to lead a life so pure, so cloudless, so righteous from the point of view of the Lord, so that we can become worthy of what Blessed Andrew the Fool-for-Christ was granted. May God bless you!" resumed the priest.

As reported, the St. Vladimir Brotherhood, together with Archpriest Alexander Klimenko, organized a marathon in the cities of Ukraine "Save the family – save the people". As part of the marathon, the priest gives concerts and holds meetings with believers, the main theme of which is family values.

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