Metropolitan Daniel (Nushiro): Filaret’s schism is cancer

During a conversation with a group of pilgrims from Ukraine, the Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan expressed his support of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, led by its Primate, "brother in Christ", His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, reports the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

The bishop drew an analogy between Japanese and Ukrainian peoples. He noted that Japan is a country prone to frequent earthquakes, but the Japanese people do not panic at the next quake, because in case of danger everyone knows what to do. And so are the Ukrainian people, who have a large number of saints, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, many magnificent churches, if they follow "a life-saving ship – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church" and listen to their Primate, "the true helmsman", there will be nothing to fear.

Metropolitan Daniel touched on the problem of "Filaret’s schism." He compared this phenomenon with cancer that spreads its metastases throughout the body, poisoning it. According to the bishop, in the same way the schismatics spread their minions in other canonical territory of the Orthodox Churches, up to Japan.

The Ukrainian delegation was in Japan from 8 to 16 September. During the trip the pilgrims visited the grave of the Japanese bishops and prayed for peace in Ukraine before the burial place of St. Nicholas of Japan, Equal to the Apostles.