Today, the entire Ukrainian Orthodox Church is prayerfully celebrating the seventh anniversary of the enthronement of His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Onufriy.

On this day, I want to extend my most cordial congratulations to our dear Primate, the Archpastor, our Grace and Father!

This is how His Beatitude is called by millions of faithful children of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. These words are backed by life experiences of people.

Our Primate is always at the head, always in sight. He is the spiritual leader of his people who humbly accepted full responsibility for them before God and who stands, like a firm rock, in the midst of the ocean of this world raging with passions.

As the Archpastor, he confidently and fearlessly leads his flock to salvation, keeping them faithful to Christ’s teachings and church canons.

Thanks to his archpastoral prayers, his firmness and persistent standing for the Truth, our holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church has never strayed from the patristic heritage despite all desperate attempts to seduce it from the true path.

As a leader who has the power to “bind and permit” from Christ and His apostles, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy always uses this power not at his own will, but with wisdom, patience and the greatest caution, delicate severity and reasonable trust, making obedience to God and the Church joyful and easy.

Father – this is the word His Beatitude corresponds to most of all. He is a spiritual parent who cares with all his heart about each of his spiritual children. He is a teacher who sets the main directions for the spiritual development of his flock. He is a prayer constantly standing before God and interceding for everyone and everything before Him.

Dear Your Grace, Your Beatitude!

Seven years is a short period by the standards of human history, but we have been able to fully realize your selfless devotion, your high dedication, your boundless love for God, the Church and our Fatherland, which is beneficial for the development of the spiritual life of the Ukrainian people.

Please accept my heartfelt gratitude and cordial congratulations on the seventh anniversary of your stay at the cathedra of Kyiv Primates! May the Lord, through their prayers, strengthen you in your ministry and grant you gracious talents and strength to perform it for the glory of God and for the benefit of our blessed country.