"Those who say that they love and serve Ukraine, but do not like Ukrainians, are not telling the truth," - Borys Gudziak

Bishop Borys said this in an interview with Ukrayinska Pravda.

"Because of the distance and time, I became less interested in the political life of Ukraine. My focus is on people, on human experience, the experience is not of some elite in Kyiv, but of victims of, say, the flood that took place in the Carpathians. Somewhere in front of my eyes are these overcrowded hospitals, people who can't afford medicines or don't have access to them; on the human experience of boys and girls in the trenches in the East.

That is, from the Carpathians to the Donbas, Ukrainians are in extreme conditions. The problem is manifested in various failures and inconsistencies in the actions of the president and the government.

There are also many disappointments and problems, the latest of which is the appointment of Mr. Shkarlet as a minister. It seemed that the government that came to power, or rather the government that came to power using the slogans of combating corruption, could not let this happen.

The pace of this year, its sharp turns, losses, routine employment have not yet given me the opportunity to sum up the final result of the year – I think that Christmas will be such an opportunity.

For at least the last two decades – from the murder of George Gongadze, the actions of Ukraine without Kuchma, the Orange Revolution, the Yanukovich period, to the revolution of dignity and these post-revolutionary years - most of my attention has been focused on political processes, problems and hopes for reforms.

Today, realizing that at a distance, my ability to influence political processes is approaching zero, I remain interested and important in the experience of a person. As Mikhailyna Kotsyubinskaya once told Miroslav Marinovich – you can love humanity only by loving specific people. We love Ukraine when we love specific Ukrainians.

Those who say that they love and serve Ukraine, but do not like Ukrainians – those specific people, in particular, the underprivileged, needy – are not telling the truth.

Politicians come with their own slogans and often leave, unfortunately, with unfulfilled promises – and the cycle of manipulation and corruption continues. I am saying this not with disappointment, but as a person who admires specific Ukrainians, their creativity, consistency, and integrity. As well as specific Ukrainians who suffer, who have special needs and a beating heart in their chest.

I am fascinated by the Ukrainian pilgrimage from fear to dignity, and it will continue for a long time to come. I consider it a special privilege of my life that I can be a spiritual companion, accompany different people either in Ukraine or abroad," the UGCC Metropolitan said.