Moscow, July 21, 2014
“We are praying for the Ukraine. This is a great sorrow for us. At every Sunday and solemn Divine Liturgy we offer up a special prayer for peace in the Ukraine,” emphasized His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the meeting with the Russian president Vladimir Putin and heads of the delegations of Local Orthodox Churches on July 18.
“We call it a fratricidal battle, that is, the same internecine war that took place in ancient times. But today it is greatly aggravated by a whole series of external circumstances, which many of us are aware of.”
“We are praying that the Lord will reconcile the Ukrainian people, that peace and justice will reign, that each person living in the Ukraine will feel at home in his native land, that no one will be discriminated against on the basis of their religion, or denomination, or in connection with their political or even philosophical choice.”
“A present-day state must give each person the opportunity to act according to their conscience. This is what freedom of conscience means. May God grant that all this will take place in the Ukraine,” the patriarch stressed.
