The Metropolitan of Sweden participated in peace events for Ukraine
On February 28, 2022, Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia was invited by the bishop of the Swedish Lutheran Church in Stockholm, Anders Holmberg, to the “Interreligious Peace Demonstration for Ukraine”, which was held in St. Petersburg. James Cathedral in Stockholm, near the Palace.
The event was honored by the presence of members of parliament, priests and members of other Christian denominations and other religions as well as representatives of the Red Cross.
In his speech in English, Metropolitan Cleopas initially stated the following: “Not until the first general restrictions and measures to combat the global pandemic slowly began to be lifted around the world, then the ghost of a new threat has emerged. The whole world is watching The tension, which has built up in recent weeks, has finally reached a climax, with the tragic news that armed conflicts have begun throughout Ukraine. Our hearts and hearts go out, especially to the innocent victims – the people who have been captured in the madness of war, old and young – and we ask for their protection and security against “all suffering, anger, danger and distress”.
He reiterated the sentiments of the ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew, the supreme spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, urging “the leaders of all states, European institutions and international organizations to work for a peaceful solution to this critical situation through sincerity. Dialogue, which is it the only way to solve all problems and meet all challenges. ”
Then Metropolitan Cleopas stated: “Much like the reaction after the horrors of World War II, when the nations of the world worked together to meet their problems and ushered in an era of unprecedented prosperity, in a similar way, one of the blessings as a result of Covid-19- The pandemic was humanity’s ability to quickly come together and work together for the greater good. Countries worked together to share knowledge, resources and other goods to tame this silent and invisible killer. , energies, prayers and hopes as they engaged in an active dialogue to help defeat this common enemy.Religious leaders, who fully cooperated with government mandates and made many sacrifices to actively show that the protection of human life is a sacred thing central to our calling must be at the forefront of this message of peace and dialogue The leaders of the world should show the same commitment to cooperation and the formation of a united front in regional crises and bilateral challenges as they did during the pandemic. “
The speech ended with the words of Patriarch Bartholomew, who called on “all parties involved to follow the path of dialogue and respect for international law, to end this conflict and let all the people of Ukraine live in harmony.”
On February 21, in response to an invitation from the Cardinal of Stockholm, Hans Eminen’s Anders Arborelius, Metropolitan Cleopas spoke at a similar event, which took place in St. Eric Cathedral in the Roman Catholic Church in Stockholm.
In both of the above events, Metropolitan Cleopas was accompanied by the pastor of St. George Cathedral in Stockholm, V. Rev Archimandrite Bartholomew Iatridis.