Bishop Job of Stuttgart: Soviet sacrileges being repeated at Kyiv Lavra
The hierarch criticized the actions of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture.
Bishop Job of Stuttgart (the German Diocese of ROCOR) gave an exclusive comment for UOJ regarding the events occurring at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, drawing parallels with the tragic events of a century ago.
"I watch with sorrow the events in the much-suffering Ukrainian land. Unfortunately, what is happening now at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra cannot but bring to mind the sad events of a century ago," said Bishop Job.
He emphasized that after the 1917 revolution, "the apotheosis of that collective madness was the pseudo-scientific desecration of holy relics. This was followed by unprecedented persecution of the Church of Christ."
The bishop expressed concern about the actions of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture: "We are all witnessing history repeating itself. It seems that the officials of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture, through their actions, unwittingly demonstrate that they, like their great-grandfathers, have collectively lost their minds."
At the same time, the bishop called for prayer for the healing of spiritual blindness, referring to the Gospel story of the healing of the man born blind: "Hatred blinds. But Christ healed the blind and the possessed. In the Gospel of John, there is even a special healing of the man born blind, about whom the Lord told His disciples that this man born blind was not punished for his sins or those of his parents, but was born blind "so that the works of God might be revealed in him."
The bishop emphasized the necessity of one's own spiritual efforts for healing: "Indeed, the man born blind also made an effort with faith, obeyed Christ, and washed himself in the pool of Siloam. We pray for a similar healing and enlightenment. May the Lord give understanding to all of us."
In conclusion, Bishop Job recalled that the history of the 20th century showed the bitter nature of correction but expressed firm faith in the triumph of Divine truth: "The history of the 20th century has shown us that correction can sometimes be very bitter. But the works of God will inevitably be revealed, for God is not to be mocked."
Earlier, UOJ wrote that, according to Metropolitan Timotheos of Bostra, the authorities' action in the Lavra mock faith.
