New head of Ukrainian Church urges an end to bloodshed – Interfax
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14 August 2014, 10:06
New head of Ukrainian Church urges an end to bloodshed
Kyiv, August 14, Interfax – Metropolitan Onufry, who was elected on Wednesday as primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), said his Church is praying for an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Metropolitan Onufry led a thanksgiving service after a Bishops’ Council in Kyiv that elected him in the second round of voting.
In his first post-election sermon, the metropolitan thanked the bishops for putting their confidence in him and said the assembly had expressed anxiety over the ongoing bloodshed in Ukraine. “It is our sincere desire that bloodshed should be brought to an end and that peace should be established,” he said.
“The assembly is praying for our government, that, at this difficult time, the Lord would help to find ways to achieve peace for our land and improve the well-being of our people. We also pray to God that the Lord would imbue the people who are fighting today with a spirit of peace, so that they should realize that it is not a Divine commandment to kill one another. Our Lord calls for peace,” the metropolitan said.
He is due to be enthroned at the Kyiv Laura of the Caves on August 17.
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