Archbishop Luka applied to the authorities of Zaporozhye asking them to address the problem of discrimination of UOC in the region
April 14, 2016. Archbishop of Zaporozhye and Melitopol Luka applied the local authorities on April 14, as reports press service of UOC.
In his letter the archpriest expressed the concern of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church about the fact that representatives of the region’s largest religious denomination, the Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Zaporozhye weren’t invited to the requiem service dedicated to the international day of prisoners of nazi concentration camps, reports the Department for Rising Awareness of the UOC with the reference to the press-service of the Diocese. According to the archbishop Luka, this ignorance of the canonical church by authorities is perplexing. It happened after ‘the place for the organization of the ceremony was chosen and arranged at orthodox believers’ expense just as was installed the standing cross’. In his letter, the archbishop also asked: ‘How to explain this forgetfulness or inattention that you manifest towards the social activity of Zaporozhye Diocese’s flock? It was said during the meeting: “There are school students taking part in this requiem service for the victims of nazi, they must learn firmness, resistance and heroism from it”. So what example are you setting for them? This is an example of artificially and intentionally making from the orthodox bishop, priests and thousands of ordinary faithful people enemies, not having invited those who created this memorial.
The administration of Zaporozhye Diocese makes every effort to preserve the peace, civil tranquillity, steadfastness in the pastoral direction of all its sons regardless political or any other social convictions. Daily prayer for peace and reconciliation is the main concern of each orthodox Christian of the Diocese. The quality of a public officer’s work is estimated by the results he/she obtains. Ukraine follows European values according to which, when untruthfulness of a public officer’s statements or professional deeds is disclosed, he/she must resign. If a person in his/her office brings more harm than benefit, he/she is dismissed. If the transport system doesn’t function properly, it is evident that this is the fault of the one who is responsible for it, if there is a problem in the field of health, the responsible for health is to be held to account. What must happen to make us understand that wrong people are charged for the relationship between church and state in our region? Moreover, they aren’t even interested in this field. Should a religious war start? In a state governed by the rule of law, the status that Ukraine is aiming at, people must keep in mind that they are responsible for their words and deeds. Let’s recall a proverb of our people: “you reap what you sow”. In addition, the more boomerangs with unpleasant situations one throws from outside the sharper might be the stab he/she or the common activity in which he/she participates will take in return.
In one of his sermons, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry said: “One’s own truth might seem very nice and promising but might bring the death. While the divine will might sometimes be unpleasant or even harsh, or hard, but it brings life”.
We hope that you will estimate and understand correctly the attempts to artificially create a hostile image of orthodox believers of Zaporozhye Diocese of the UOC.