Many Ukrainian schismatics are ready to return to the canonical church, they think in the Russian Orthodox Church

The head of the department of external church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (MPC MP) Archbishop Ilarion, Archbishop of Volokolamsk Ilarion, believes that among the adherents of the self-proclaimed Kiev Patriarchate, many are ready to overcome the split with mother-church.

“I know that among the nearby“ Kiev Patriarchate ”, among the clergy of this organization there are many those who would be ready to reunite with the canonical church,” Archbishop Ilarion said at a meeting with journalists in Moscow, Interfax reports.

The archbishop recalled that representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Kiev Patriarchate are already looking for ways to be ruling the split, meetings of representatives of both parties are being held to prepare the future dialogue. Also, Archbishop Ilarion said that in Ukraine the positions of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church "are very strong today and not only do not weaken, but are strengthened and will only strengthen."

In his opinion, the confirmation of the fidelity of most residents of Ukraine by canonical Orthodoxy was the visit to this country of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Cyril in the summer of this year, when in all regions of Ukraine the Primate was met "not as a guest or a foreigner, but as his spiritual leader."

"I hope that under the wise leadership of Patriarch Kirill and Metropolitan of Kiev Vladimir, steps will be taken to help this sad split that arose for political reasons," said the representative of the Moscow Patriarchate.