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12 October 2018, 17:36Metropolitan of Czech Lands and Slovakia expresses solidarity with canonical Church of Ukraine
Moscow, October 12, Interfax - Metropolitan Rostislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, the head of one of the 15 local Orthodox Churches, has expressed support for the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Kirill's initiative on an all-Orthodox discussion of the "Ukrainian issue."
"Global Orthodoxy recognizes the only canonical head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine. [...] Therefore, any attempt by the state authorities to legalize Ukrainian schismatics should be strongly condemned by all heads of local Orthodox Churches," Metropolitan Rostislav said in a letter to Patriarch Kirill, which was published on Friday.
Metropolitan Rostislav assured Patriarch Kirill of his "unchanged position on the rude interference by the state authorities in the internal church affairs taking place in Ukraine," on which the Synod of the Czech Lands and Slovakia made a statement at its most recent session on June 12.
"We are connected with brotherly Ukraine not only by the closeness of the borders, but also by the blood relation of residents of Carpathian Rus. The suffering of our Ukrainian brothers, with whom we have one faith and one blood, is hurting our heart," the metropolitan wrote.
"Because the Orthodox Church is based on the principle of collegiality, we are firmly convinced that any conflict situations and disputes threatening the unity of the Orthodox Church should be resolved in a collegial manner, in strict accordance with the commonly accepted church traditions and holy canons," he wrote. |
