Prayer on the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster

[John]

On the day marking the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia addressed the entire flock of the Russian Orthodox Church, asking all to remember the heroic feat of cleanup workers.
“Man-made disasters, which have been assuming an increasingly menacing scope as civilization is developing, reflect what is happing inside the human soul. Without a profound spiritual analysis of the role Man plays in the Universe such disasters cannot be prevented,” he said.

The Patriarch noted with regret that many have failed to learn the lessons of the Chernobyl catastrophe and that Mankind has been treating the land, water and air, and the entire environment merely as a consumer.

“It is impossible and not worthwhile to try and stop the development of science and technology. But people will not be guaranteed against tragedies similar to the one that occurred 25 years ago if they do not learn to use natural resources and achievements of civilization wisely, with care for each other and everything God has created,” Patriarch Kirill said.

Scientific and technological development “cannot be non-ethical. It must be combined with devotion to the eternal moral standards and the ideals of mutual respect and love. This is the guarantee of a worthy future for our people and the world as a whole,” the Primate of Russian Church said.