Cypriot cleric about UOC members: I am impressed with their faith

Archimandrite Nektarios (Bacopoulous) and the UOC spokesperson, Archpriest Nikolai Danilevich. Photo: The UOC Information and Education Department

The Secretary of the Cypriot Tamassos Diocese of the Cyprus Orthodox Church, Archimandrite Nektarios (Bacopoulos), said that he was impressed with the faith of the canonical Church members persecuted by the activists of the OCU.

“I was impressed as a priest, impressed with that faith, the reverence of your believers that I saw. It is seen that the difficulties that the devil creates inside the Church, give believers the opportunity to develop, ascend spiritually and experience their relationship with God more strongly,” the UOC Information and Education Department cites the words of Archimandrite Nektarios on Facebook.

According to the clergyman of the Cyprus Church, he experienced affection and felt special grace when, with the blessing of Metropolitan Isaiah of Tamassos (Kykkotis), he served with the community of the seized church in one of the rural houses.

“My personal contact with parishioners and residents of these parishes proved that these people have a deep faith. That they are devoted to the Church, that they trust the Church, that they believe in their Church. <...> I really experienced emotion, experienced a special grace and saw the faith, the strong faith of believers. All this happened during the Divine Liturgy with special awe, thanksgiving spirit,” noted Archimandrite Nektarios.

This is really a true faith and a true relationship with God, he stressed.

“I am returning to Cyprus, enriched with spiritual experience and all that I have seen. And I'll pass it all over there. So that our believers there also hear what is happening in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” concluded the clergyman of the Cyprus Orthodox Church.

On June 6, 2019, on the day of the Ascension of the Lord, Archimandrite Nektarios supported the believers of the UOC Eparchy of Rovno and assured them that world Orthodoxy is looking for ways to resolve the Ukrainian church crisis.

On June 7 and 8, 2019, he visited the parishes of the Volyn and Ternopol Eparchies, which were affected by the activists of the OCU. “You are in the true, real and canonical Church. Therefore, you should not be afraid of anything,” said Archimandrite Nektarios to the faithful children of the Volyn Eparchy, who did not betray Christ even under persecution.

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