UOC rep: Churches whose heads aren’t bent to authorities to be persecuted

In his sermon on Christmas Day, Metropolitan Longin of Bancheny drew the attention of the faithful that a difficult time has come for the Orthodox in Ukraine when everyone must give an answer – how they will serve God and whether they will remain in the fold of the canonical Church.

"We cannot listen to those people who have created their church, in which there is no grace of God, no love, but only bloodshed. They take for themselves our churches, which have the grace of God because no one can do without grace, and their churches, as everyone knows, are empty. We asked our authorities not to take away our churches but we were not heard," said the Metropolitan.

Vladyka highlighted that the Church was created for prayer, fasting, humility and love, and urged everyone to unite in God and in love.

"We all love our country, and we are all children of our mother – we don't think she will love anyone less, but our Church has been hit by terrible persecution today," Metropolitan Longin noted.

He also added that persecution awaits all Local Churches and only those whose bishops sell out to the authorities will be fine.

"You see how Bartholomew has drunk the blood of Christians, wanting to become the pope for Christians all over the world. But our pope, our Father, is the Lord God, and the head of our Church is Jesus Christ. And we all – patriarchs, bishops, priests, monks and all people of God – we all serve our King, who was born to sacrifice Himself for the forgiveness of sins of all people, while the world wants to choose another King – the ruler of the whole earth," said the UOC hierarch.

 

His Eminence urged parishioners never to leave the Church of God, because only in it there is salvation.