screenshot from the video
A number of clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow patriarchate) have written an appeal to Patriarch Kirill of Russia and Ukrainian Metropolitan Onufriy, urging them to raise the issue of the church’s withdrawal from the Moscow Patriarchate due to the silence about the war in Ukraine. This is stated in the appeal of the clergy.
«We thought you were the Father, and you were worse than the stepfather. God is your judge. I appeal to my rector, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, to initiate the convening of a local council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to raise the issue of the inappropriateness of being part of the Moscow Patriarchate and changing the canonical status of our church,» – Peter Semaschuk, rector of the Fedir Consecrated Church said.
They also stated that they would not mention the name of Patriarch Kirill during the services. «He blesses Putin’s Russian aggression against my country with his silence,» – said Oleksandr Sorokin, a clergyman at the Kyiv Eparchy of the Holy Trinity Church in Kyiv.
In particular, the Metropolitan of Lviv and Halych Filaret Kucherov (UOC MP) has signed an order according to which the Metropolitan of Moscow will no longer be commemorated at services in the churches of the diocese. Metropolitan Filaret Kucherov also condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
«Stop the prayerful remembrance of the Patriarch of Moscow for services in churches and monasteries of the Lviv Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. During the service in the churches of the Lviv Eparchy, the prayer requests at the litanies should be completed according to the formula: «On the God-protected long-suffering state of our Ukraine,» – the order reads.
The same decision was made by the leadership of the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
«The armed forces of the Russian Federation have invaded Ukraine. Bloodshed, rocket attacks on cities, civilians and children have been going on for several days in a row. Having received no condemnation from Patriarch Kirill of this bloody war waged by Russia against our compatriots, we, the clergy of the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, stop commemorating Patriarch Kirill of Moscow at all services. In this decision, we see the support of the faithful of our churches, many of whom are now at the forefront. We remain faithful to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, its Holy Synod and Your Beatitude,» – the statement reads.
It should also be recalled that today, March 2, Catholics around the world will fast in the intention of peace in Ukraine, responding to the call of Pope Francis. Today, Roman Catholics have Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent.
Translated by Vitalii Holich
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