In view of the extraordinary natural disasters in Japan and the existing threat of radioactive pollution due to the damage done to several atomic power stations in that country, Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate called the believers to pray for mercy to be shown to humankind.
We should now pray more than usual that the Lord should have mercy on the people, first of all, those exposed to danger. We sympathize with the Japanese nation, which is going through one of the greatest natural disasters in recent times. The Ukrainian nation, which went through the Chornobyl disaster, also shares the concern over the events at several Japanese nuclear power stations caused by the earthquake. Lord help to ensure everything ends well, the Patriarch said in an interview to www.cerkva.info.