The congratulations that Metropolitan Savva of Warsaw and All Poland of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church sent to Kirill on the 14th anniversary of his accession to the patriarchal throne of the Russian Orthodox Church outraged Ukrainian public organizations in Poland. They appealed to Savva to condemn Russia's criminal actions in Ukraine.
The initiators of the appeal called this greeting "a glorification of crime and the farce of Christianity that he performs." This is reported by Telegraf.
"As the head of the Orthodox Church in Poland, the Metropolitan priest also did this on behalf of other bishops, priests and believers, including our Orthodox ones. This gesture is the greatest blow dealt to us by the hierarch of the Orthodox Church in Poland, a blow that undermines the credibility of the Polish diocese and undermines the authenticity of preached Christianity. Kirill Gundyaev, instead of building the Kingdom of God, aims to build a Kremlin Empire on land, including those looted from others, " the letter says.
The authors of the letter also write that explosions have been visible in Kyiv, St. Sophia Cathedral and Pechersk Lavra, Svyatogorsk Lavra, Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol and many other cities of the country for almost a year.
"These are not fireworks or flashes of greatness and glory, but explosions of Russian rockets, bombs and artillery shells. Their glow illuminates the thousands of dead children, mothers and fathers, old people and soldiers who are defending their homes and land with extraordinary heroism. Nightmarish clouds of smoke, illuminated fires, drawing in the sky the outlines of criminals with devilish faces – Putin and his spiritual guardian – Kirill Gundyaev," the initiators of the appeal write emotionally.
The letter to the head of the Polish Church states that Ukrainians pay a terrible price for the lives and health of their compatriots and loved ones – "the price of destroyed homes and destroyed destinies, the price of Exile."
Ukrainian public organizations called on the hierarchy of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, following the example of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and most religious leaders of the world of various faiths and religions, to show a clear evangelical position on condemning Russian crimes in Ukraine.
The authors of the letter also called on Archbishop Savva to recognize the Orthodox Church of Ukraine as the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which will be an unequivocal confirmation that the Orthodox Church cannot be an instrument of the imperial policy of any state.
The letter was signed by Miroslav Skorko, president of the Association of Ukrainians in Poland, Natalia Panchenko, leader of the Euromaidan – Warsaw social initiative, Halyna Andrushkov, president of the uniters Foundation, Artem Zozulya, president of the Board of the Ukraine Foundation, and other Ukrainian figures in Poland.