Hierarch of Jerusalem Church – to UOC believers: You are in the right Ark
We want the UOC, without any political obstacles, to continue its salvific path, noted Metropolitan Timotheos.
The Exarch of the Holy Sepulcher in Cyprus, Metropolitan Timotheos (Margaritis) of Bostra, urged the UOC parishioners to thank God for being in the bosom of the canonical Orthodox Church, reported on the Holy Assumption Pochaev Lavra YouTube channel. The hierarch of the Church of Jerusalem addressed his word to the flock without an interpreter, in Russian.
“Every Christian has his feat here on earth. Feat for the sake of salvation. We should be grateful to God that we are in the bosom of the Orthodox Church, in the canonical Church. Because the grace of the Holy Spirit works there and the Mother of God protects all believers,” said Metropolitan Timotheos to the believers.
He said that the Jerusalem Church is praying to the Most Holy Theotokos at Her Tomb.
“We pray to Her that the Lord will bestow upon courageous believers, who remain steadfast in Orthodox maxims, His Divine shield,” said the hierarch of the Jerusalem Church.
Those who remain faithful to the Church of Christ are called confessors, he stressed and conveyed the blessing of the Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine to the UOC parishioners.
He also recalled that Patriarchs of Jerusalem, despite dangers to life, would come to Ukraine to establish Orthodoxy in Western Ukraine during the struggle with the union.
“We pray for the unity of Orthodoxy. But the unity should be correct – in the bosom of the canonical church. We want the UOC, without any political obstacles, to continue its salvific path. So you are in the right ark and I want to invoke the Lord's blessing upon you for your loyalty to the Orthodox Church under the spiritual patronage of His Beatitude Onuphry, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus,” concluded Bishop Timotheos.
Earlier, he stressed that the entire Christian world loves the Primate of the UOC. “The exceptional pastoral qualities and virtues that adorn you have gone beyond the borders of the local Ukrainian Orthodox Church across the entire Christian world, where you are respected, loved and trusted. The proof of the above is our Eucharistic communion today,” said Metropolitan Timotheos to the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
