On the day of the fifth anniversary of his enthronement and his 45th birthday, Metropolitan Epifaniy, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, shared his thoughts on commemorative dates.
“In the opinion of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy, marking commemorative dates means completing the analysis of the path traveled and thanking God for the opportunity,” his posting on Facebook reads.
He emphasized that these holidays provide an opportunity “to look at the journey from a distance and, above all, to express gratitude.”
“We have to thank our courageous modern-day heroes, our defenders, soldiers, sons and daughters of Ukraine as it is thanks to their sacrificial heroism that we live and pray in independent Ukraine and the Ukrainian Church,” Metropolitan Epifaniy stressed.
He added that, without unity and joint efforts in the entirety of the OCU, the Church would not have gained the achievements it is enjoying now. “Unity is our strength – I have always spoke of this and I will continue to do this. Behind all great achievements and victories stands not one person, but a great force of people who did the right thing at the right time,” he said.
Metropolitan Epifaniy also thanked everyone for their support and assistance to the OCU. “Nobody knows what awaits us next. But I know for sure that we will stand only together – in unity, love, mutual respect, having unshakable faith in God and working for our common great Ukrainian Victory,” he concluded.
