Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit commemorative events in Ukraine dedicated to the celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia. The visit will take place on July 27-28. The head of the Department for Relations with the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox community Kirill Frolov shared his comments on Putin's upcoming trip with Pravda.Ru.
"Vladimir Putin's route coincides with the route of his divine patron, Equal to the Apostles Saint Prince Vladimir. The president will first visit key celebrations. July 27 will be the day for the historic prayer, to be attended by the leaders of all local churches, headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill. Then Putin will travel to Hersonissos in Sevastopol, where he will worship the shrines associated with the adoption of baptism by his patron, Saint Vladimir. In Sevastopol, Putin will also attend the parade of the Black Sea fleet, which historically guards the frontiers of our Orthodox Fatherland.
"The Institute of CIS countries held a conference in 2007 on the fate of Sevastopol. Patriarch Kirill took part in the conference too. That was also the time, when the relics of saint righteous warrior Fyodor Ushakov, Russian naval commander and admiral of the Black Sea Fleet were brought to Sevastopol.
"The fact that Russia, Ukraine and Belarus celebrate the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia confirms the historic Orthodox choice. It is very important that the opponents of this historic choice have stood out. "Mr. Navalny," for example, supports the legalization of gay marriage in Russia - this symbol of anti-Christian European Union. He has thus showed everyone whom he is working for. His people undermine the program of building 200 churches across the country, and one church in Moscow.
"Ukraine is facing a choice: either to be faithful to the historical choice of the Orthodox Holy Prince Vladimir, or sign an association with the European Union and thus leave the Orthodox world, spit and trample on the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia. Putin will discuss this with Yanukovych.
"I will share the opinion of those who say that there is nothing bad in signing the association with the European Union. Those who advocate the signing, try to have it both ways and claim that Ukraine will do the things that it likes to do and will not do what it does not like. The European Union is a civilized rigid structure that will strictly demand the requirements of the ideological package should be executed. Kiev will thus be required to hold a gay pride parade and raise a loan from the EU - that's what they did in Moldova. One of the conditions for Moldova to integrate was a move to pass the gay law. As a result, the Moldovan Church of the Moscow Patriarchate excommunicated the authors and lobbyists of the law from holy sacrament, regardless of their position.
"Also, I would very much like Vladimir Putin to raise a fundamental question before Viktor Yanukovych about the Ukrainian church. The dissenting Kiev Patriarchate was the largest center for recruiting militants to such terrorists as Basayev, Dudayev and others. The nonexistent independent Ichkeria was recognized the so-called canonical territory of the so-called Kiev Patriarchate. Thus, the Ukrainian church dissenters, and those who harbor them, try to pry the Ukrainian church from the Russian one. They took part in the terrorist war against Russia, and they should be held accountable for their actions," said Frolov.
Pravda.Ru