Ukrainian parliament chairman and Patriarch of Jerusalem discussed Ukrainian Church Autocephaly for over an hour

Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Andriy Parubiy met with Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem yesterday, May 29, during an official visit to Israel.

This was reported by the Facts at ICTV.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Patriarch was extremely tactful, cautious and moderate in his expression. Congratulating the speaker and the MPs, the First Hierarch reminded us of the special role of the Church of Jerusalem, because it was from here that Christianity distributed.

At the same time, Patriarch Theophilus III treats with understanding the problems of Ukrainians.

“We must distinguish between political leadership and moral edification. Politicians address issues in their plane, spiritual leaders must rely on wisdom and inspiration of the Spirit of God. Our task is to help unity, not to create divergence between the state and the Church,” said the Patriarch.

Negotiations between the Ukrainian Parliament Speaker and the Patriarch of Jerusalem lasted more than an hour instead of the planned 50 minutes. At the end, everyone looked happy and smiling.

Andriy Parubiy said the Patriarch of Jerusalem recognizes the right of Orthodox peoples to their independent Church.