Patriarch Comments on Situation in Rivne

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill commented on the situation with the delayed visit to West Ukrainian city of Rivne , which he finally visited on Monday in spite of the persistent recommendations of the Ukrainian authorities, having been informed in Kyiv how the people were waiting for him on Sunday.

In his talks with the West-Ukrainian clergy at the Convent of Zymne Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia explained what caused the changes in the program of visit: “I am not sure that there are any evil intentions.”

According to what he said, in the course of preparation of the visit to Ukraine one of the high officials from presidential administration came to him and on behalf of the President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko asked him not to go to Rivne, because very rough acts of provocations were prepared there. “The Kyivan authorities were not sure if they could keep the situation under control”, said the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

“Nevertheless, holding this point of view in due respect, I asked to include Rivne into the program of my pastoral trip anyway”, the Patriarch added.
However, on Sunday one of the high officials of the presidential administration called my number and said that visiting Rivne was extremely undesirable, especially on that day”. The Patriarch was then in Sebastopol, and the alternative ways of getting to Korets (where one of the largest monasteries is situated) were discussed, in case if flying to Rivne was impossible. There were two variants: Kyiv and Zhytomyr. But since an airline company representative informed us that it was impossible to land the plane there, decision was taken to go to Kyiv”, the First Hierarch explained.
“When I came to Kyiv I learnt all the details, how the people were waiting for me, how many citizens of Rivne came in the streets to support me, and I made decision to visit Rine the next day”, Patriarch Kirill emphasized.
By his own admission, he was really touched by the reception he was given in Rivne. “Of course, there were people shouting there. They looked quite young. I do not know how sincerely they represented the ideas they proclaimed. They made an impression of atmosphere players, they had prepared phrases to speak out”, His Holiness said. In his observations, these people were not many, some thirty people.
“They created noise effect, but had prevented neither the meeting with the believers nor blocked access to the church”, assured the Moscow primate.

In Rivne the Patriarch was met both by the adherents and by those standing or independence of the Ukrainian Church from Moscow. The faithful met the Primate in Rivne by thunderous chanting “Our Patriarch is Kirill”. At the same time the nationalists shouted “Shame!” Dozens of militia officers controlled a crowd back to avoid possible conflicts.

In Rivne, as well as in West Ukraine on the whole, the non-canonical Kyivan Patriarchate holds strong positions, being supported by Yushchenko, who stands for establishment of the Local Church, independent from Moscow. The representatives of the Kyivan Patriarchate and nationalist organizations declared undesirability of Patriarch Kirill’s visit to Rivne.

RIA Novosti

Source: