Speaking in the program “Light the night” radio “Faith” Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church and society and the media V. Legoida noted that the most pressing issue in connection with the crisis of inter-Orthodox relations, caused by the policies of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, is the fate of Chad, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
“Our prayers, our pain now is primarily with our brothers in Ukraine. This question is the main, but not the same, whether people will be able to go to Athos, along with the understanding of its importance to the world of Orthodoxy, the worship of the shrines of mount Athos and the Athonite practice of the spiritual life,” said V. Legoida.
“I emphasize that I am purely a point of view being expressed, I don’t mean no disrespect nor to the people who make these pilgrimages, nor, of course, to the Holy Mountain, but in a situation when under attack, our brothers in the Ukraine, to talk about whether I go to Athos, he felt rather ashamed, I think. We can recall St. Seraphim, who spoke about the Sarov land: “Here I have Athos, Kiev and Jerusalem!””, he added.
The Chairman of Department on interrelations of the Church with society and the media also told about the correct response to a real threat of seizure of churches and monasteries of the Ukrainian Church, and the statements of representatives of the Ukrainian authorities of the need to rename the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
“We can only pray that never came to clashes, especially since the President of Ukraine is still in the words guarantees the safety of the Ukrainian Church, while other speakers say that the Moscow Patriarchate has nothing to do in Ukraine. Let’s see what happens in practice,” he said.
Fake V. Legoida called the position of some representatives of the Orthodox community who speak about the fault of both parties in the incident of conflict, referred to the reaction of the Moscow Patriarchate too hard, and the conflict – a clash of hierarchs for their interests.
“The picture that is drawn of them fake. Because the decisions of the Synod of the Russian Church is not a corporate dispute between two economic entities. We say that the schismatic groups in Ukraine are not subject grace, and, according to Church understanding of life, when you take them into fellowship – you secularise”, — said the representative of the Church.
“If you follow the truth, Church life, Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church just could not make other decision. We are not broke, and stated the situation occurred gap”, — said V. Legoida.
According to the Chairman of Department on interrelations of the Church with society and the media, this situation is hard, not hopeless: “of Course, we have the mechanisms out of this situation. The Russian Church has asked the Cathedral to consider the situation to all local Churches, for which the behavior of Patriarch Bartholomew must be the destruction of the very idea of autocephaly”, — he said.
“We can analyze this situation to try to do something good, but most importantly – do not forget about the necessity of praying for our brothers, for our Church in Ukraine “, — said V. Legoida.