Usik put the sect of Tomos witnesses in an uncomfortable position
The famous Ukrainian boxer, absolute world champion Alexander Usik said that he would side with the monks if the radicals went to storm the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
He stated this on the air of the 112 Ukraine TV channel, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
According to the athlete, what is happening today in the Orthodox world is a schism, and the tomos of a separate church, which the Patriarchate of Constantinople wants to issue to Ukrainian schismatics, will not change anything.
"Read the Bible, read the Law of God, the Gospel—it's all written there. If people become kinder to each other and begin to forgive the offenses committed against them, if they begin to love their neighbors as the Almighty loves us, then I'm all for it (the tomos, – author ). Nothing depends on whether the tomos is granted or not. Everything depends solely on us; we must create within ourselves the Church, and family, and love, and everything else. But if we remain as angry and prickly as we are now toward our neighbors, then everything will continue as it is. What's happening now is nonsense because we are dividing things. We all participate in this, we are dividing things, constantly accusing someone of something," Usyk declared.
At the same time, answering the presenter’s question what he would do if the radicals went to seize the Lavra, the boxer said: “I will side with the monks.”
Let us note that the boxer himself does not hide the fact that he is a parishioner of the UOC and regularly speaks out in its support.
He also presented Metropolitan Onuphry with boxing gloves with a dedicatory inscription.
Earlier, as PolitNavigator reported, Ukrainian social media began targeting two-time Olympic champion and world boxing champion Vasyl Lomachenko, who spoke out in support of the UOC religious procession marking the 1030th anniversary of the baptism of Rus'.
It is noteworthy that the Ukrainian president, who lobbies for the creation of an independent Ukrainian church and slanders the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, declared after Usyk's victory over Russian boxer Murat Gasiev in Moscow that this was a symbol of Ukraine's approaching victory.
English version :: Read in English: Usyk put the sect of witnesses of the tomos in an awkward position