Department for External Church Relations
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Hierarchs of Local Orthodox Churches express support for canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Support for the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its Primate, His Beatitude Onufry, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, has been expressed by representatives of Local Orthodox Churches who came on July 23, 2017, to Kiev to honour in prayer the memory of St. Anthony of the Caves, the founder of monasticism in Rus’.
The press conference for the Ukrainian mass media was held by Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovary, chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and hierarchs of the Orthodox Churches of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Jerusalem and Poland.
Metropolitan Timotheos of Bostra (Orthodox Church of Jerusalem) noted in particular, ‘We are aware that hard times have come to Ukraine. We pray for the prosperity of Ukraine and unity of the people. The self-governed Orthodox Church of Ukraine under the primatial guidance of Metropolitan Onufry is exactly the symbol of the unity of the people’.
Metropolitan Naum of Rousse (Bulgarian Orthodox Church) said that in its time the Bulgarian Church experienced a schism too, but with prayer and God’s help it was overcome: ‘Our Church has always supported the Ukrainian Orthodox Church… We lift up prayers before the altar that the Lord may preserve and strengthen the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church together with bishops and priests and the faithful Ukrainian people’.
The Church is one in Christ; it is the body of Christ, and all its members are inseparably connected with Christ, reminded Metropolitan Isaiah of Tamassos and Orinis (Orthodox Church of Cyprus). ‘I should say: those who are in union and unity with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are in union with us too. It is the only canonical Church in Ukraine’.
Metropolitan George of Kitros, Katerini and Platamonas (Greek Orthodox Church) noted, ‘Our presence here is symbolic. During the liturgy, which we will celebrate today together with representatives of other Local Orthodox Churches and hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, we will bear witness to our pan-Orthodox unity around the Cup of Christ and in the Holy Spirit. The Greek Orthodox Church and all other Orthodox Churches in the world recognize the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as the only canonical Church in Ukraine led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry’.
Support for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its Primate was also expressed by Archbishop George of Wroclaw and Szczecin (Polish Orthodox Church): ‘I would like to call everybody to intensify their prayers for the unity of holy Orthodoxy so that the Lord may grant much strength, spiritual support and grace to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry and all the episcopate and that they may steadfastly preserve the canonicity of holy Orthodoxy followed by the grace of the Holy Spirit, without which there is no Church’.
The hierarchs from other countries also extended congratulations to the chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovary, on his name day and his coming 50th birthday, reports the UOC information and education department.
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