This story is a great reminder to look for the glimpses of God's mercy even in the most terrible of situations. Also great reporting that I haven't seen anywhere else. Thank you!
I don't understand the dynamics of Ukraine's Orthodox churches well enough to say how significant this meeting was, but I do hope more good comes of it. The bishops of the UOC seem to be at least somewhat responsive to the concerns of their clergy, and a more concerted push by parish priests for real dialogue with the OCU could have real effect. The parish priests are the ones on the ground seeing the problems and concerns of their parishioners, after all, and they have contact with priests and parishioners from the other church in a way that the bishops don't.
I also appreciated Fr. Dudchenko's remarks about the Catholic Church; even though there is not administrative unity between Catholics and Orthodox, be it under the pope or as part of a communion of patriarchs, there is at least the mutual recognition of sacramental validity, which is arguably most important. Knowing that we share the same sacraments and succession from the apostles is a bond of unity that goes back to Christ Himself, far further than any human disputes.
Disunity is the fingerprint of the enemy. “Grace is for the perfection of the heart not the mind”. The disunity in the Church is a scandal to non- believers. Walking toward unity is a grace the Lord has given to these 21 priest. May it flow to the whole opposing groups that their hearts my be transformed by grace so that their minds may change.
This story is a great reminder to look for the glimpses of God's mercy even in the most terrible of situations. Also great reporting that I haven't seen anywhere else. Thank you!
I don't understand the dynamics of Ukraine's Orthodox churches well enough to say how significant this meeting was, but I do hope more good comes of it. The bishops of the UOC seem to be at least somewhat responsive to the concerns of their clergy, and a more concerted push by parish priests for real dialogue with the OCU could have real effect. The parish priests are the ones on the ground seeing the problems and concerns of their parishioners, after all, and they have contact with priests and parishioners from the other church in a way that the bishops don't.
I also appreciated Fr. Dudchenko's remarks about the Catholic Church; even though there is not administrative unity between Catholics and Orthodox, be it under the pope or as part of a communion of patriarchs, there is at least the mutual recognition of sacramental validity, which is arguably most important. Knowing that we share the same sacraments and succession from the apostles is a bond of unity that goes back to Christ Himself, far further than any human disputes.
Disunity is the fingerprint of the enemy. “Grace is for the perfection of the heart not the mind”. The disunity in the Church is a scandal to non- believers. Walking toward unity is a grace the Lord has given to these 21 priest. May it flow to the whole opposing groups that their hearts my be transformed by grace so that their minds may change.