The Church of Albania called for the abolition of the anti-church law in Ukraine.
The Albanian Orthodox Church has issued a statement in support of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The statement was published on the official website of the AOC .
It notes that “on the eve of Christmas, calls to end the war in Ukraine are intensifying.”
The Orthodox Church of Albania recalled the theses of its statement of August 26, 2024 : “Persecution, imprisonment, sacrilege in places of worship, confiscation of the property of holy churches and holy monasteries are cruel acts. They become crueler when imposed by the legislative bodies of democratic countries.”
The statement of the Albanian Church states that “under the leadership of Metropolitan Onufriy, millions of Ukrainian Orthodox believers, numerous bishops, priests, monks and nuns, all members of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, are being persecuted.”
“Sharing the suffering of our persecuted brothers, we fervently pray for an end to the ongoing bloodshed, which has caused pain to the entire Ukrainian population without exception. We also pray for the repeal of this unjust law, the restoration of peace and unity of Orthodoxy, so that it can continue to fulfill its worldwide mission,” the Albanian Orthodox Church concludes.
Previously, the UOJ wrote that, according to Archbishop Anastasius of Albania, a Pan-Orthodox Council should be convened through Ukraine .
Axios to the Church of Albania. They have given vocal support for the UOC and Met. Onuphry from the beginning and calling for a conciliar process to solve the problem.
Unfortunately, I am increasingly coming to the opinion that Patriarch Bartholomew will not be condemned in this lifetime on a Church-wide council, his condemnation will come in the afterlife.
Meanwhile the situation will become more muddied as the Church of Finland just elected a very pro-OCU leader who had a representative of the OCU at his consecration.
The longer the collective Church stays silent, the worse the situation will become.
Yes, I’m afraid that you’re correct, Petros. I would now write-off the Church of Finland. After all, those whom knowingly serve with schismatics, automatically become schismatic!
There is no sugar coating that can cover this mess. Bartholomew is both a heretic (claiming the universal jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiff and first without equal status) and a schismatic (creating new churches on the ancient territories of sister Churches). He is an embarrassment to all of us who are Greek and Orthodox. Worse than just being an embarrassment to all, his hands are stained with the blood of canonical bishops priests and faithful in Ukraine.
AXIOS…to the Albanian hierarchs!
Speaking of the Church, St. Paul writes there are many members, but one body .If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. It is clear that Archbishop Anastasios and his Albanian Orthodox faithful flock feel the pain that Metropolitan Onuphrios and the Ukranian Orthodox flock are feeling. Some others of the body of Orthodox Christians have also consoled the members of the canonical Ukranian Orthodox Church. Most of the Orthodox have yet to express their concern. The situation in Ukraine has caused a deep division in the Orthodox Church. Patriarch Bartholemew as first among equals holds a unique position in the Body of Christ, the Church, to initiate actions, like calling the bishops of the world together and to agree on the medicine needed to heal the body of Christ. Let’s pray that God grant P. Bartholemew, the wisidom, humility and strength to heal the divisions in the Church. Unfortunately, he is promiscuously flirting with the Roman Catholics about setting a common date of Easter. Apparently, he has learned nothing about the schism that his predecessor Meletios Metaxakis created in the 1920’s when he changed the calendar without the approval of the Church. Those of you who are schooled in church matters, please answer this question .Can a meeting of the bishops of the world be convened in any other way than by the Patriarch of Constantinople? The representatives and leaders of the Body of Christ need to meet and heal the wounds of the Church.
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