The Primate of the OCU calls corruption not only a sin, but already a universal disease (corruption of the human heart, weakness of will, confusion of mind), which can be healed with God's help.
The Metropolitan shared this on his Facebook page.
"Corruption is so ingrained and flourishes so luxuriantly that all attempts to overcome it externally (numerous laws, prohibitions, etc.) do not defeat it. This does not mean that the "medicine" is bad, it means that the methods of treatment are wrong or incorrectly targeted. To overcome the disease, it is not enough to treat the symptoms, you need to find and cure the cause. And in this case, the cause is spiritual!" the Metropolitan notes.
He explains to Ukrainians that the essence of corruption – bribery and graft – is one of the consequences of the fall of man. The Metropolitan warns that corruption is dangerous because it impacts not only one person who is affected by this disease, but also creates serious consequences that have an impact on everyone.
"Like everything dark and sinful on this earth, what is from the devil – corruption is afraid of transparency. Those who commit evil are afraid of light and truth, which is why they are so adept at hiding everything, inventing excuses and hiding, "burying" themselves deeper and deeper. Fearing the light of truth, people affected by this disease become suspicious, "closed", nervous, their hearts are seized by fear, uncertainty. They also evaluate other people by their own standards. In their "coordinate system", material values displace spiritual ones, and therefore a person becomes completely dependent on earthly goods and temporary benefits," the first hierarch warns.
Metropolitan Epifaniy has noted: "It is useless to fight this spiritual problem without powerful spiritual weapons. But even spiritual "weapons" will be powerless without one's inner readiness and awareness of the need for healing. If you don't know how to do the right thing, ask the Lord for advice and listen to his advice in your heart and conscience."