On occasion of the 20th anniversary of the referendum on the independence of Ukraine, representatives of the three most numerous Churches of Ukraine issued an address.
The document was signed by the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, Patriarch Filaret, Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Vicar of the Ktyivan Metropolitanate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, Bishop Ilarii (Shyshkovskyi) at the Kyiv Mohyla Academy and was read out by Bishop Yevstratii (Zoria) of the Kyivan Patriarchate.
In their estimations of the present situation, the ministers agree that the reason for the misfortunes is in ourselves.
The representatives of the churches stress that God gave Ukrainians everything necessary for life, fertile lands, ability to work, cleverness and will. But due to a spiritual crises corrupting the society, we do not duly use those gifts.
“Man is primarily a spiritual being. His outward successes or defeats are a result of good or erroneous spiritual life. This applies to the whole society. Therefore, let us not look for guilty parties outside, for the main reason for the misfortunes is ourselves, the spiritual crises corrupting our society,” reads the address.
The hierarchs stated that the crises can be overcome. Ukrainians should make not the material things but spiritual things their priority in the system of their values.