Last Hope for Ukraine: All-Ukrainian Orthodox March for Peace in Donbass Culminates in Kievhttps://futuristrendcast.wordpress.com/2016/07/28/last-hope-for-ukraine-all-ukrainian-orthodox-march-for-peace-in-donbass-culminates-in-kiev/the All-Ukrainian Russian Orthodox March for Peace in Donbass started on July 3, one in the east (Donbass), another in the west (Ternopol) of Ukraine. Both marched on foot to Kiev, where they converged and joined forces.
The name for this unique event, which on a smaller scale regularly takes place for special occasions in Russian Orthodox churches, is Кpecтный xoд (Krestniy Khod). However, the size and scope of this particular happening is unprecedented.
Some incorrectly translate Кpecтный xoд to English as ‘a crusade.’ In reality, the right translation would be a ‘peaceful pilgrimage’ with the elements of a ‘march.’ The purpose of such event is multi-prong: to atone for personal and collective sins of humans; to ask for forgiveness and seek god’s and Divine Mother’s protection; to declare the desire for unity and peace.
Technically, initially – some time in 9th-10th century or so – a Catholic ‘crusade’ did signify the same as Кpecтный xoд. However, the meaning of a crusade was irreparably tarnished as a result of aggressive Crusades by violent Western/Catholic knights against Jerusalem, Constantinople, Middle East and Russia with the expressed purpose of looting and conquest. Therefore, the word ‘crusade’ acquired a decidedly negative and derogatory connotation.
A reader asked me if these were two separate branches of Orthodox Church that wanted to show their unity by converging in Kiev. No, this is the same Russian Orthodox Church: its Ukrainian branch. This march united all those in Ukraine who belong to the Russian Orthodox Church, with Patriarchy in Moscow. This is the dominant religion in Ukraine.
However, there is a breakaway branch of ‘Ukrainian Orthodox Church,’ unrecognized by other Orthodox Churches and world religions. There is also a very confusing ‘Greek-Catholic’ Church, primarily in Western Ukraine, where the Vatican penetrated when those territories belonged to Poland and Austria-Hungary. The latter is essentially Catholicism with some Orthodox stuff thrown in to camouflage its real essence. Both of these have been thriving and greatly expanding since 2014 Kiev coup. They both support the ‘right sector’ and Bandera ukro-nazis; both are Russophobic. Neither of these two were a party to this All-Ukrainian march.
There is a big problem in Ukraine with these two breakaway (shall we call them separatist?) religions: using nationalists and ukro-nazis, they attack regular Orthodox churches and monasteries, beat up, kill or expel Batyushkas (priests), threaten congregations and take over such churches for themselves. The problem is being silenced or quietly supported by Poroshenko and his junta. Russian State and the Russian Church have been trying to appeal to Catholic and other religions, as well as to Western leaders to help restore justice. The West – as usual – is silent.
There were many threats against this All-Ukraine March for Peace, and not only from ukro-nazis, but also from Ukraine government officials. Ukraine’s minister of interior Arsen Avakov and his advisor Gerashchenko posted threats against march participants on their Facebook pages; recommendations to attack and kill the marchers sounded from some Ukraine parliament deputies. Rotten eggs were thrown, fake bombs were set up on the way. Odessa pilgrims were threatened to be BURNED ALIVE inside buses they were boarding to get to Kiev (recall Odessa May 2, 2014 Kulikovo Polie tragedy when people were burned alive)! Attempts to intimidate pilgrims, disrupt the march and block it from entering Kiev were made by ukro-nazis from fascist OUN/UPA.
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While the dark forces that took over Ukraine ran to their Mediterranean villas or hid in their holes, an extraordinary situation took place in Kiev as one hundred thousand people joined the march through its streets. Previously, ten thousand joined the march when it traveled through Kharkov, and thousands joined it in every town and city it passed. In every town, including Kiev, volunteers cooked free meals and prepared tea for pilgrims. Kiev, for the first time since the bloody February 2014 coup, turned into a city of peace and unity. Observers noted that the energy during the march was incredibly high. And they are absolutely right.
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Read the full article and view more photos at:
https://futuristrendcast.wordpress.com/2016/07/28/last-hope-for-ukraine-all-ukrainian-orthodox-march-for-peace-in-donbass-culminates-in-kiev/