25 June 2026
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today, the entire Ukrainian Orthodox Church prayerully celebrates the name day of our Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev and All Ukraine.
This world in an informational one. It seeks its own: it demands to immediately speak up, draw attention to oneself, fall in line. It likes a loud speech and a flamboyant gesture — and has almost lost the ability to hear silence.
Hence, it is sometimes said, 'Whyever is His Beatitude silent?' But our abba is first of all a monk and man of prayer. He does not work for the public — he works for God. His silence in the mass media is not an absence of position. It is the quietness of a man who seeks the will of God more than any words and knows the value of each of them.
Saint Onuphrius the Great retreated into the desert to fully belong to Christ. The Lord has purposed for our Primate to keep the same inner desert amidst a historical storm — amidst a cruel and insane war, the people's pain, the persecution of the Church, and human malice and lies. And to remain meek yet not weak in these trials. Strong yet not cruel. Humble yet not fearful.
His Beatitude does not overshadow Christ. It is as if he quietly tells each of us with his whole life, 'I go to the Lord. If you want to be saved, come along.' It is not enough to keep up with the news to hear this voice. One needs to leave their noise himself at least for a short time and incline his heart to prayer.
I wholeheartedly congratulate Your Beatitude on the feast of your patron saint! I prayerfully wish you spiritual and physical strength, God's inexhaustible help, and many years of ministry to Christ and His Holy Church.
Many and blessed years, Your Beatitude!
All related news Today, the entire Ukrainian Orthodox Church prayerully celebrates the name day of our Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev and All Ukraine.
This world in an informational one. It seeks its own: it demands to immediately speak up, draw attention to oneself, fall in line. It likes a loud speech and a flamboyant gesture — and has almost lost the ability to hear silence.
Hence, it is sometimes said, 'Whyever is His Beatitude silent?' But our abba is first of all a monk and man of prayer. He does not work for the public — he works for God. His silence in the mass media is not an absence of position. It is the quietness of a man who seeks the will of God more than any words and knows the value of each of them.
Saint Onuphrius the Great retreated into the desert to fully belong to Christ. The Lord has purposed for our Primate to keep the same inner desert amidst a historical storm — amidst a cruel and insane war, the people's pain, the persecution of the Church, and human malice and lies. And to remain meek yet not weak in these trials. Strong yet not cruel. Humble yet not fearful.
His Beatitude does not overshadow Christ. It is as if he quietly tells each of us with his whole life, 'I go to the Lord. If you want to be saved, come along.' It is not enough to keep up with the news to hear this voice. One needs to leave their noise himself at least for a short time and incline his heart to prayer.
I wholeheartedly congratulate Your Beatitude on the feast of your patron saint! I prayerfully wish you spiritual and physical strength, God's inexhaustible help, and many years of ministry to Christ and His Holy Church.
Many and blessed years, Your Beatitude!
