Patriarch Filaret Addresses World Forum of Ukrainians
On 19 August, 2011, on the invitation of the leadership of the Ukrainian World Coordination Council, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, Patriarch Filaret of All Rus-Ukraine participated in the opening ceremony of the 5th World Forum of Ukrainians and greeted its participants. The forum was also attended by the Secretary of the Synod of that Church, Bishop Yevstratii (Zoria) of Bohuslav.
The head of the Kyivan Patriarchate called the Ukrainians worldwide, especially, statesmen, to live according to the truth.
The hierarch also paid attention to the problems of corruption and justice. “One of the main problems in Ukraine is corruption. We will not be able to overcome the crises or reform our state if we do not combat corruption. For it eats away the society as rust. We also need to have just courts which would condemn the guilty and justify the innocent,” said the head of UOC-KP.
The patriarch also spoke about the problems of the Ukrainian language and one local Church. “Our opponents understand how important for the independence the Ukrainian language and Ukrainian Church are. Therefore, they do everything to exclude our language and destroy our Local Ukrainian Church, the Kyivan Patriarchate. But they will achieve no success! There will be both the language and one Local Church!” said Patriarch Filaret.
In conclusion, the patriarch called everyone to unity. So reported the press-center of UOC-KP.
