Metropolitan Athanasius of Limassol: The Church is not a place for the flawless, but a space for repentance

The Church is not a “school of good manners” or a community of exclusively morally upright people, but rather a space where everyone is called to repentance and an awareness of their own imperfection. This view was expressed by Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, a hierarch of the Church of Cyprus, according to the Vima Orthodoxias portal .

The bishop emphasized that believers often face accusations of falling short of a high moral ideal. However, the essence of the Church lies not in demonstrating personal virtue, but in the opportunity to acknowledge one’s emotional wounds and life’s difficulties. The Church is open to all, and a person who is sincerely repentant and aware of their sinfulness gains far greater spiritual value than one who considers themselves a “saint” while lacking an understanding of the true meaning of repentance.

As a reminder, earlier, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church called on Christians to rely on the unshakable foundations of church life—the Sacraments, Holy Scripture, and tradition—which remain an island of stability amid the changing landscape of reality.