True freedom implies responsibility, first of all – before God, and, hence – to one’s own nation, Bishops of the UGCC

The concept of freedom includes two components: freedom from oppression, enslavement, exile and deprivation of liberty, as well as freedom to self-determination, the free choice of one's own path of development, the unimpeded implementation of the gifts and talents of individuals and of society as a whole, UGCC Information Department informs.

This is stated in the Epistle of the Synod of Bishops of Kyiv-Halych Major Archbishopric of the UGCC on the occasion of the Centenary of Restoration of the Ukrainian Statehood. In the Epistle, its authors state that their "considerations are pastoral and come from the Gospel, the doctrine of the Church, and the experience of our great predecessors."

"The long national-liberating struggles of our people were invariably accompanied by great desire to free themselves from all kinds of foreign-made enslavements and gain the right to freely decide the fate of their own country, their own nation and their own families, and thus realize in their lives the gift of freedom that man and people receive from their Creator ", explain the Bishops of the UGCC.

However, freedom should not, in any case, be confused with arbitrariness or lawlessness. True freedom, believe the Bishops, implies responsibility, first of all - before God, and therefore - before our own conscience and the nation to which we have the privilege to belong.

"We, believers, understand and believe that true freedom grows out of God's will and builds upon the observance of God's Law. His Beatitude Lyubomyr once observed: "The Lord made us free." Nobody honors our freedom like God. But we do not have the courage to be free. To be free - means to be responsible." That is why freedom should be learned, it must be affirmed every day so that we may not fall into the trap of sin and passions, which blind, restrict and enslave man and people!" emphasize the authors of the Epistle.

They note that true freedom guarantees victory and invincibility of man and people in the face of tyranny and enslavement. His Beatitude Lubomyr also spoke about this: "The authorities are afraid of freedom in our hearts much more than a hungry rebellion because they can buy a hungry one, but they can only kill a free one."

"Today our people with great self-sacrifice defend their own freedom and dignity. However, we must remember that the first field on which to fight and establish true freedom is the space of the human spirit, open to the Divine Truth and ready to align our will with God's saving will with confidence. For a believer, the road to true freedom is the way of the Commandments of God," says the Epistle of the Synod of Bishops of Kyiv-Halych Major Archbishopric of the UGCC on the occasion of the Centenary of Restoration of the Ukrainian Statehood.