“THERE IS NO ARMY – THERE IS NO STATE… THERE IS NO CHURCH – THERE IS NO A SPIRITUAL POTENTIAL…”

His Holiness having seen the church of St. Nicolas Myrlikiiskyi the Miracle-Worker, Museum of history of military intelligence and the objects of infrastructure of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, met with the agency’s personnel.

– Today, Ukraine is in a difficult situation. We are the victim of aggression. Insidious enemy tries to capture the East of Ukraine. The people ask the question – who will win? We will win! We stand on the way of truth and it has always won. The god will never be with untruth. Evil and God are an incompatible. But it is necessary not just to believe but to be convinced that God helps us, – noted Holy Patriarch.

At the same time, he underscored that Ukrainian church always was, is and will be with people and with army.

– Every day church prays for our army. But we not only pray, the church helps army in practice. It means that church blesses servicemen and all people to defend our Motherland. So if there is no army – there is no state. There is no language – there is no nation. There is no church – there is no a spiritual potential of state. Therefore we must have a high spirit, and our spirit depends on belief in God. We believe that our army will be able to defend our state. Guarantee of this is a God. The truth with us! We will win! When we will see how we will gain a victory over aggressor – our faith become stronger, – Filaret is convinced.

Taking unique opportunity, agency’s personnel put painful questions to Dean of Kyiv Patriarchate on which they got answers, so to say, from his own lips.

In conclusion of meeting, Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Major-General Yurii Pavlov sincerely thanked Holy Patriarch for all-round assistance to scouts and he awarded him with the honourable insignia of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine as well as presented a figurine of owl – a symbol of wisdom, vigilance and attention.