“We must forgive the madman and pray that the Lord sends healing,” – UOC hierarch on politics

The head of the Rivne diocese of the UOC, Bishop Pimen (Voyat), commented on the statements of the chairman of the Rivne Regional Council, Sergei Kondrachuk, in which the politician allowed himself to insult monasticism. Bishop Pimen’s comment was published by the press service of the diocese.

“There are such words in the Holy Scriptures: “The fool has said in his heart: ‘There is no God,’” but then the song-singer David explains that all the ways of the fool will become insignificant, because he neglects the saint, having no fear of God, no love.

The chairman of the regional council Serhiy Kondrachuk, a man of high rank, allows himself in public to call the monasticism of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church stinky and shaggy, feisty priests.

Monasticism, on which the Church of God has depended since ancient times, monasticism, which has always been a source of unceasing prayer, monasticism is the tuning fork of spirituality, a sign of sacrifice and service to the Lord, monasticism is an indicator of the faith, effectiveness and reality of the Church, monasticism is the image of Christ, deny the Lord.

Monasticism is present in large numbers in the UOC today. No religion in Ukraine can imagine such a number of people who fulfilled one of the requests of Jesus Christ: «Take up your cross and follow Me!».

When a monk takes tonsure, he renounces everything worldly, and condemns himself to unceasing prayer to God, serving Him and the Holy Trinity. In the prayer at the tonsure there are such words: “I will most sweetly accept” mockery, lies, name-calling, for I will continue to follow Christ humbly and with obedience to His holy will.

And monasticism is ready to accept the words that the official, again because of his madness, allows to speak.

The Lord and God’s law is older, older than our world, because the Lord is Eternal. It is this that should be remembered and understood by all who in society raise their hand against the Church and its ministers.

One of the Laws of the Divine Will, the Law of Interaction, the Law of Sowing and Harvest, says: «What a man sows, he will reap!».

This means actions, words, committed, spoken by a person, will certainly come back.

«God’s millstones grind slowly but surely» — this ancient wisdom speaks of the Divine Laws of Creation — harsh, incorruptible and inexorable, the action of which sometimes eludes the earthly human point of view.

God is just and perfect. Likewise, just and perfect Laws, which God once and for all, laid in the basis of Creation. These Divine Laws of Creation are the cornerstone on which the whole structure rests.

Mr. official crossed the line — he insulted monasticism, prayer books and the support of the church.

We must forgive the madman and pray that the Lord understands him, sends healing and forgives him, because he probably does not know what he is doing,” says the hierarch of the UOC.