Abbot of Valaam Monastery: Metropolitan Onufriy is a holy man

The Abbot of the Valaam Savior Transfiguration Monastery, Bishop Pankratiy (Zherdev) of Trinity

The Abbot of the Valaam Savior Transfiguration Monastery, Bishop Pankratiy (Zherdev) of Trinity stated that he wants to be in the same Church with His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev and All Ukraine, rather than with head of the UOC KP Filaret Denisenko. About this he wrote on his Facebook page.

According to him, after the decision of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, for him Patriarch Bartholomew and Filaret Denisenko are “equivalent”: “That's who his brother is now! I knew everything about Denisenko’s “anathema” and Metropolitan Onufriy when you were probably just born. Denisenko does not have an honest bone in his body. He is an old snitch and a werewolf. On the contrary, Vladyka Onufriy is a holy man. Our brethren in St. Sergius Holy Trinity Lavra and deceased Fr. Cyril loved him with all our heart and soul, we all wept when he was leaving the Lavra for Ukraine.”

He considers that His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, “this loving and kind-hearted man, along with millions of the faithful to the Ukrainian Church, has fallen prey to the treachery” by Patriarch Bartholomew.

As for “anathema” laid on Denisenko, my attitude to it is even worse. It’s not even about the canons or old stories – for me it is a matter of morality. It is all the same to schismatics who they take the Holy Communion with. But I do care; I cannot be at the Communion Cup with Judas! My conscience objects to that."

“I want to be with Metropolitan Onufriy in the same Church, and not with Denisenko!” concluded the Abbot of the Valaam monastery.

As the UOJ reported, earlier the clergy and believers of the UOC told that His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev and All Ukraine lives by faith.

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