Ukrainian Hierarchs Express Condolences to the Polish Nation
UKRAINE – The head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, Patriarch Filaret, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Patriarch Lubomyr, and Bishop Leonid Dubrawski of the Roman Catholic Church assured Poles of their prayer support regarding the death of the Polish president and delegation.
“According to the reports, the perished persons included known Polish political and public figures, spiritual figures, the Orthodox Ordinary of the Polish Army, Archbishop Myron, Catholic Ordinary of the Polish Army, Bishop Tadeush, and others. This catastrophe is a great loss for the Polish people and we share the bitterness from our hearts,” noted Patriarch Filaret in a letter to the Polish Ambassador in Ukraine, Jacek Kluczkowski, reports the press service of the Kyivan Patriarchate.
“The sad news was just received about the plane crash that resulted in the tragic death of the President of Poland Lech Kaczy?ski, his wife, and representatives of the Polish government and society who were on a flight from Warsaw to Smolensk,” says the letter of condolence of Patriarch Lubomyr of UGCC to the Polish Ambassador. “I ask to accept from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, its bishops, clergy, monastics, and laity, the sincerest sympathy for the relatives of the deceased and for the whole Polish nation. Let the gracious Lord accept the souls of the deceased in His Kingdom!”
“This event is especially sad because people died were going to honor the memory of the victims of the Katyn tragedy. From today Katyn is a double symbol of grief. We are all asking ourselves why happened and why did it happen. Let the All-Merciful God…help us understand the not-understandable,” stated Bishop Leonid Dubrawski as reported by CREDO.
According to the web site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Volodymyr, extended condolences to the primate of the Orthodox Church of Poland, Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw, and Ambassador of Poland to Ukraine Jacek Kluczkowski on the tragedy that occurred on Saturday near Smolensk.
The web site of UOC-MP posted the text of the telegram:
"With a feeling of deep sorrow we received the news about the tragic death in the plane crash of President of Poland Mr. Lech Kaczynski, his wife Mrs. Maria Kaczynska, government members, Seim deputies, and other top officials and the accompanying persons.
The Orthodox Church of Poland also suffered a grievous loss – His Eminence Miron of Hajnowka, Ordinary of the Polish Army is dead.
Accept, Your Beatitude, our condolences on behalf of the episcopate, clergy, and faithful of Ukraine. We sincerely sympathize with the brotherly people of Poland in this tragedy.
Let's pray to Christ the Life-Giver, Risen from the dead, for the repose of the souls of the deceased. Eternal memory to them!
With love,
† Volodymyr,
