17 August 2023
Today, we celebrate the day of the enthronement of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine — our wise Abba and elder, our caring spiritual teacher and diligent man of prayer. One can only wonder at the wisdom of the Divine Providence when one sees how the Lord leads His Church and His people. When it fell to Metropolitan Onufriy’s lot to be at the helm of the big church ship, who could imagine what trials were ahead of him and all of us? The Lord alone knew about it, and He chose from our midst a man worthy of this responsible ministry. The deepened church schism, which has transcended the boundaries of Ukraine and affected world Orthodoxy, the division of Ukrainian society, a large-scale external aggression, a brutal war…
At this most crucial moment, a massive campaign against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church is unfolding in Ukraine. Persecutions of church leaders are started, the seizures of churches are multiplying — including seizures with the support of bodies that are supposed to stand guard over law and order. It is hard for the Most Blessed Onufriy to see those trials which have befallen the Church and its hierarchy. For example, Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchyn and Bratslav, who was allegedly found in possession of leaflets of propaganda character, which in the circumstances of the war was assessed as work in favour of the enemy, has been sentenced to five years of imprisonment. The pinnacle of cynicism in this cheap play is the fact that the court ruled to destroy those very leaflets (which were material evidence) so as to avoid the possibility of conducting an independent examination. The Abbot of the Kyiv Caves Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel, was arrested on spurious grounds. In consequence of the harassment by the authorities, Metropolitan Pavel suffered a heart attack and found himself in a hospital ward. The house arrest of Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kaniv, a respected hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was prolonged for two more months after his statements about the beginning of the persecution of the Church in Ukraine. The reason was that, allegedly, ‘the accused may hide from the investigation and influence witnesses’.
The persecution of Metropolitan Longin of Bancheny, who is known for his charitable and educational activities, resulted in his suffering a stroke. Metropolitan Longin adopted hundreds of children, becoming a second father for them and taking care of them as if they were his own. Many bishops and priests are summoned for questioning to the Security Service of Ukraine and the national police. A large number of criminal cases have been opened against members of the Church. In the last few days, the authorities resumed the seizure of buildings belonging to the Holy Dormition Kyiv Caves Lavra: pilgrims and seminarians were denied access to the Lower Lavra (despite the fact that people living in the dormitories and in the hotel had left their personal things there), and later, the police blocked the entrances to the Lavra territory altogether. All of it is not only persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It is a political act, committed in violation of the Constitution of Ukraine. The seizure of the Lavra is not care about the ‘spiritual independence’, but actions for the benefit of a foreign centre — the Phanar and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who seek to get a range of ancient church complexes in Ukraine at all costs and who bear full responsibility for the persecutions of canonical Orthodoxy going on in Ukraine. It is they who provoke actions entailing turmoil and schism. The persecution of the UOC hierarchy is not enhancement of national security, but an attempt to destroy Orthodoxy, to intimidate priests and laymen. It is not building ‘spiritual independence’, but building independence from Christ for worshiping earthly rulers and satisfying earthly passions.
The humble and prayerful ministry of our Archpastor, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, stands out against the background of the general confusion and insanity. He shows by his stoic example that one can hit clear surface of water with a hammer as much as one wants, but it cannot be broken or exhausted in this way. The circles will disperse, and everything will calm down. The word of Truth has lived in the Church for centuries. The Church preserves in us the ability to be human. His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy never speaks in his sermons about perishable things and those passions which are tearing society apart. He speaks about the fact that Christ is Love, Christ is Forgiveness. And that is what makes his words so hateful to those who try to set a trend for enmity, malice, and hatred in society. But hatred is a bad material for building the future. Happiness can be built only upon Love. Its strength against violence is faith in the good Providence of God, hope in the Lord’s mercy, it is humility in Christ Jesus, it is forgiveness for the sake of God, it is love for one’s neighbours. Once, the Saviour Himself defeated the devil and the entire world, corrupted by him, by His humility before the Divine will of His Heavenly Father. The Kyiv Metropolis has always been characterised by zealous ministry of its primates to the Lord. And His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy is a continuer of this tradition, not letting political passions and temptations prevail over the true faith. History attests: fifteen Ecumenical Patriarchs were accused of heresy, but only three Metropolitans of Kyiv fell into heresy in more than a thousand years. And in our times too, the Most Blessed Onufriy is at the forefront of the struggle against an attempt to introduce the heresy of papism into world Orthodoxy. I have no doubt at all that thanks to the position of our Primate and, most importantly, thanks to his prayer, we will get through all the trials and persecutions allowed for us. The Church of God will not only withstand them but will also be strengthened. Ukraine will not only withstand but will also revive.
Happy day of your enthronement, Your Beatitude! Many and blessed years!
All related news At this most crucial moment, a massive campaign against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church is unfolding in Ukraine. Persecutions of church leaders are started, the seizures of churches are multiplying — including seizures with the support of bodies that are supposed to stand guard over law and order. It is hard for the Most Blessed Onufriy to see those trials which have befallen the Church and its hierarchy. For example, Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchyn and Bratslav, who was allegedly found in possession of leaflets of propaganda character, which in the circumstances of the war was assessed as work in favour of the enemy, has been sentenced to five years of imprisonment. The pinnacle of cynicism in this cheap play is the fact that the court ruled to destroy those very leaflets (which were material evidence) so as to avoid the possibility of conducting an independent examination. The Abbot of the Kyiv Caves Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel, was arrested on spurious grounds. In consequence of the harassment by the authorities, Metropolitan Pavel suffered a heart attack and found himself in a hospital ward. The house arrest of Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kaniv, a respected hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was prolonged for two more months after his statements about the beginning of the persecution of the Church in Ukraine. The reason was that, allegedly, ‘the accused may hide from the investigation and influence witnesses’.
The persecution of Metropolitan Longin of Bancheny, who is known for his charitable and educational activities, resulted in his suffering a stroke. Metropolitan Longin adopted hundreds of children, becoming a second father for them and taking care of them as if they were his own. Many bishops and priests are summoned for questioning to the Security Service of Ukraine and the national police. A large number of criminal cases have been opened against members of the Church. In the last few days, the authorities resumed the seizure of buildings belonging to the Holy Dormition Kyiv Caves Lavra: pilgrims and seminarians were denied access to the Lower Lavra (despite the fact that people living in the dormitories and in the hotel had left their personal things there), and later, the police blocked the entrances to the Lavra territory altogether. All of it is not only persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It is a political act, committed in violation of the Constitution of Ukraine. The seizure of the Lavra is not care about the ‘spiritual independence’, but actions for the benefit of a foreign centre — the Phanar and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who seek to get a range of ancient church complexes in Ukraine at all costs and who bear full responsibility for the persecutions of canonical Orthodoxy going on in Ukraine. It is they who provoke actions entailing turmoil and schism. The persecution of the UOC hierarchy is not enhancement of national security, but an attempt to destroy Orthodoxy, to intimidate priests and laymen. It is not building ‘spiritual independence’, but building independence from Christ for worshiping earthly rulers and satisfying earthly passions.
The humble and prayerful ministry of our Archpastor, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, stands out against the background of the general confusion and insanity. He shows by his stoic example that one can hit clear surface of water with a hammer as much as one wants, but it cannot be broken or exhausted in this way. The circles will disperse, and everything will calm down. The word of Truth has lived in the Church for centuries. The Church preserves in us the ability to be human. His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy never speaks in his sermons about perishable things and those passions which are tearing society apart. He speaks about the fact that Christ is Love, Christ is Forgiveness. And that is what makes his words so hateful to those who try to set a trend for enmity, malice, and hatred in society. But hatred is a bad material for building the future. Happiness can be built only upon Love. Its strength against violence is faith in the good Providence of God, hope in the Lord’s mercy, it is humility in Christ Jesus, it is forgiveness for the sake of God, it is love for one’s neighbours. Once, the Saviour Himself defeated the devil and the entire world, corrupted by him, by His humility before the Divine will of His Heavenly Father. The Kyiv Metropolis has always been characterised by zealous ministry of its primates to the Lord. And His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy is a continuer of this tradition, not letting political passions and temptations prevail over the true faith. History attests: fifteen Ecumenical Patriarchs were accused of heresy, but only three Metropolitans of Kyiv fell into heresy in more than a thousand years. And in our times too, the Most Blessed Onufriy is at the forefront of the struggle against an attempt to introduce the heresy of papism into world Orthodoxy. I have no doubt at all that thanks to the position of our Primate and, most importantly, thanks to his prayer, we will get through all the trials and persecutions allowed for us. The Church of God will not only withstand them but will also be strengthened. Ukraine will not only withstand but will also revive.
Happy day of your enthronement, Your Beatitude! Many and blessed years!
