His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr Greeted Organizers and Participants of 2nd Orthodox Mass-Media Festival

Allow me to greet you on the opening of the 2^nd festival of orthodox mass-media.

His Eminence Lazar and I belong to the generation, which had to live and perform ministry in times when the word of Christ's truth was prohibited and could be heard only under close surveillance of atheist power and inside a rigid fence of atheist propaganda. We tried to do our best and the Lord did not leave His flock.  

Today we and you, the young generation of our Church, live in a difficult, but beautiful time, when we can freely preach not only in churches, but via the modern mass-media.  We can not simply create our own newspapers, magazines, internet-sites and TV and radio-programs.  Today we are welcome guests on the air of the central media of the country.  Appreciate this time and according to Apostle Paul's word (2 Timothy 4, 2-5): preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry to which the Lord and His Holy Church called you.  

I wish all the festival participants, organisers and guests the blessing and assistance of God, wisdom and inspiration, joy of communication and the interchange of talents that each of you was generously endowed with by Our Lord Jesus Christ  - the Living Word, God's Wisdom and Truth.
 

† Volodymyr,
Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine
Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church