“Churches in Ukraine have declared that they are on the side of the people. That is an example for current politicians…” Bishop Bohdan (Dziurakh)

Such thoughts on the activity of the Church within the context of the last political events in the Ukrainian State were shared by Bishop Bohdan (Dziurakh), administrator of UGCC Patriarchal Curia, in a video-blog for Live TV.  

Continuing his thoughts, the bishop said that it is only irresponsible people who can perceive as negative the phenomenon of national, confessional, and language diversity in Ukraine.  For these people this argument leads up to the opposition of one region to another. 

Diversity is a great wealth of a country because in one country there is presented the diversity of cultures, traditions, languages,” he contends.  However, in the opinion of Bishop Bohdan, the politicians are  using this fact to divide lands and to set one group of people against another,  He considers such actions criminal and which is  censured by the Church. 

The hierarch related what in turn the Church proposes to its people in the situation which has developed in Ukraine.  First of all, it is the constant prayer for the people, the government, and the Motherland because neither the statesmen nor the soldiers can protect our land, if God does not protect it.”

One other task which the Church has, according to him, is bearing witness to the truth.  This does not only mean to pass on true information about what is happening in Ukraine, but also to bear witness to Jesus Christ who himself is the Truth.  Also the Church should know how to listen: “The Church lives with people and its chore is to listen to the hearts of people in order to feel through what society lives.”  This will permit the Churches to become the protectors of the indigent and the misfortunate before the mighty, in other words, to become the voice of the people before the government, because the chief mission of the Church is serving God and the people.

UGCC Department of Information