Today, Holy Patriarch of Kyiv and all Rus-Ukraine, Filaret has met with the representatives of mass media and congratulated them on the occasion of the professional holiday that Ukrainian mass media celebrates on June 6.

His Holiness, addressing to the journalists, noted: “I’m much obliged to the audience for patriotic civic position. We have a lot of common because church and mass media carry a word to people. We carry an eternal word, you must carry a truthful word about life. It is especially important in modern conditions when aggressor tries to capture our land.”

Answering the questions of journalists, Holy Patriarch in particular, informed that situation concerning the churches of Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate in the east of our state is still remaining difficult especially in Luhansk region where the clergy cannot lead a service at the churches because of separatists pressure. The situation in Donetsk region is a little better, there clergymen have more actively cooperated with law enforcement agencies and try to help them thoroughly.

At the end of his speech, Primate of Kyiv Patriarchate underscored: “The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said correctly that we need to have powerful Armed Forces because it is necessary to put force against enemy. The force it’s an army. The reasons for despondency are absent. The whole world is with us. The victory will be ours, but we must act.”

In conclusion of meeting, Patriarch Filaret awarded the representatives of Ukrainian mass media with Blessed Patriarch’s letters missive those who their works promote the creation of United Local Orthodox Church in Ukraine and the unity of Ukrainian nation.