The Saints Are Being Mocked Along With Millions of Believers. Metropolitan Antony (Pakanich)

Photo: ​geopolitika.ru     

All our believers are currently alarmed by yet another attack against the Church, namely the so-called Commission “inspecting” relics cuts locks to Kiev Caves, Orthodox monks refuse to be part of blasphemyThe Caves are home to the incorrupt relics of more than 120 saints.

“>“inventory” of the holy relics in the The Kiev Caves Lavra, the Monastery of Sts. Anthony and TheodosiusOn the right bank of the Dnieper River, the unsurpassed Kiev-Pechersk Lavra shines from afar, in the Pechersk district of Kiev, which is the oldest district of the capital.”>Kiev Caves Lavra, which the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine considers “museum exhibits.”

It is quite ironic that the proclaimed campaign of “decommunization” in Ukraine has led to a repetition of the same actions carried out by the godless communist government. A century ago, they, too, took away churches from the faithful and made the relics of saints into exhibits in so-called museums of atheism.

Proclaim attractive slogans as much as you like, and make arguments that sound reasonable, but godless deeds remain godless under any slogans, because every tree is known by its fruit (Lk. 6:44).

These events may shock an outsider, but for the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, everything that is happening is just another occurrence of the systematic persecution of the Orthodox Christians.

Now, the incorrupt relics of saints are also being mocked along with millions of believers.

Oddly enough, this only serves to accentuate the link between the Church in Heaven and the Church here on earth; all the saints of the Kiev Caves are with us. Though they labored in different ages of our history, they are now experiencing everything we live by and which is being done to us Christians of the twenty-first century.

Metropolitan Antony (Pakanich)     

Today, more than ever before, we can feel our unity with our holy ancestors—with the venerable saints of the Caves, whose relics are yet again subjected to blasphemy; with our grandparents, many of whom survived the years of godless rule as confessors; with the New Martyrs, many of whom are our earthy kin—and we know that this unity is a tremendous force. The oppressors, however, do not realize this.

God rules the world—this is an axiom. What is most important is to profess God’s authority to everyone, especially to those to whom the Lord has, for a short time, given or allowed His authority over specific nations. This is the key to the prosperity of any nation and any state. If those in power struggle against God and His saints, they put themselves at risk. Everyone can recall the story of the biblical Pharaoh who in spite of the Lord’s admonitions continued to persecute the people of God. This is a warning to all those who oppress the faithful from time immemorial unto the present day.

God is not mocked. The saints are above all the blasphemies committed against their relics. And you and I, in a state of oppression, must remember that even if someone has power over our earthly bodies, they have no power over our immortal souls. For our Lord is higher and stronger than any earthly power, even if it fancies that there is no Creator. After all, that someone does not believe in God in no way negates His existence.