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Ukrainian archbishop Yevstratiy of Chernihiv and Nizhyn, in a press briefing at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly, told journalists that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has applied to become a full member of the WCC and the Conference of European Churches.
Archbishop Yevstratiy is deputy head of the External Church Relations Department of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and is a professor at the Kyiv Theological Academy. He is attending the assembly in the German city of Karlsruhe from 31 August to 8 September.
"The Ukrainian war continues, and for me, as a Ukrainian living inside the country, we have suffered from Russian atrocities every day, and every hour at a very high price," said the archbishop during the press briefing.
"The city of Chernihiv was under Russian siege for 38 days. Every day it was bombed, shelled, and missiles rained. Seven hundred inhabitants died this March, and many buildings have been destroyed."
At the same press briefing, Dr Jørgen Skov Sørensen, general secretary of the Conference of European Churches, spoke of churches acting as the Good Samaritan in helping refugees.
"What we see in Europe today is a vast expression of religious illiteracy, among some decision-makers, and what we're trying to impact in this country, but also other contexts, is to mitigate that, explaining the role of conflicts.”
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2 September 2022, Karlsruhe, Germany: a press briefing was given by H.E. Archbishop Yevstratiy of Chernihiv and Nizhyn, Deputy Head of the External Church Relations Department of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, spokesperson of the church and professor at the Kiev Theological Academy and Dr Jørgen Skov Sørensen, General secretary of the Conference of European Churches (CEC). The 11th assembly of the World Council of Churches from August 31 to September 8 has the theme "Christ's Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity."
Sean Hawkey/WCC
Yevstratiy said the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has not had contact with the Russian Orthodox Church, but that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine "is open to listen and have discussions."
Discuss and pray
"And we gather together to discuss, to pray to rethink, and to find a way to be much more united as Christians," said the archbishop.
The Ukrainian archbishop said that Ukraine's security "is not a question about Russia and Ukraine, even not about Europe."
He said Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February had caused the most dangerous security situation the world has faced since the Second World War, and that war, in turn, led to the formation of the WCC.
"It is a question about security for the whole world. And if we understand it as a global security system, it will work more appropriately,” he said.
Video of the Assembly press conference, 2 September 2022
Livestream of the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany
