Metropolitan Epifaniy calls on all Ukrainians to protect the state from Russian aggression
"In 1169, Golden-Domed Kyiv Cathedral was looted and burned for the first time in its history as a result of an invasion from the northeast led by Prince Andriy Yuryovych of Suzdal-Vladimir. Neither churches nor monasteries, including Pechersk, escaped desecration. In 1708, the troops of the Moscow Tsar captured the capital of the Hetmanate Baturin, destroyed all the inhabitants and burned it. In 1918, Bolshevik detachments on behalf of the puppet "republic" created in Kharkiv by order of the Russian government seized part of Ukraine, including Kyiv, for several months, subjecting the inhabitants of the occupied lands, including clergy, to terror... The lesson is simple: the unity of the Ukrainian people is our strength, and internal strife and confrontation are the path to enslavement by the enemy," the appeal of Metropolitan Epipfaniy says.
He notes that the fruits of this enslavement are also well-known. All unbiased researchers have recognized the looting and destruction of Kyiv in 1169 as a key event that led to the destruction of Russia as a state, making it defenseless against the Mongol invasion. The defeat of the Hetmanate turned into the enslavement of the Ukrainian people, the extermination of our identity by the empire. The Bolshevik occupation brought to Ukraine repressions and terror, crimes against humanity unheard of until then in world history in terms of scale and cynicism, of which the largest was the Holodomor-Genocide of 1932-33.
"Thus, for us, for the Ukrainian people, there can be only one answer to the Kremlin's aggression: united resistance, protection of our native land, freedom and dignity, and fighting the aggressor to victory.
We, the Ukrainian people, may have different beliefs, but we have one state of Ukraine. History has repeatedly proved that only a sovereign, independent Ukraine is a space where citizens of different political views, different ethnic backgrounds, and different religious beliefs can remain free and enjoy the fullness of their rights and freedoms. Conversely, life in the Ukrainian lands of Crimea and Donbas still occupied by Russia shows that along with the Kremlin invaders comes bloodshed, ruin, captivity, and fear.
Therefore, I call on everyone to protect Ukraine from Russian aggression. I urge you to fight for Ukrainian statehood, support the armed forces and all our defenders. Together, we can survive. With God's help, we will win this fight.
The truth is on our side. Our state is supported by the international community, all people of good will. Millions offer their daily prayers for peace for Ukraine.
The Lord has repeatedly helped our people, giving them strength and wisdom to overcome challenges. I am convinced that even in the current trials, God will help us protect the truth and establish a just peace," the first hierarch stressed.
He called on the Ukrainian state, the soldiers who defend Ukraine, and all our people to receive the Lord's blessing.
