Bulgarian hierarch: UOC is the only canonical Сhurch in Ukraine

Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovech. Photo: Pravoslavie.ru

On June 24, 2019, Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovech of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church at a briefing for the Ukrainian media in Kiev, dedicated to the 5th anniversary of the enthronement of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, called on the believers to hold on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, reports the “1Kozak” tv channel.

“The only canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine is the Church headed by Metropolitan Onuphry, the Church that has God's grace. And if there is no God's grace in the Church, then it doesn’t make any sense because in such a Church it is impossible to be saved,” the hierarch emphasized.

He noted, "Therefore, thank God that the Lord helps, that people are saved in Ukraine, that they hold on to the Orthodox Church."

“The Lord gave in the difficult times of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church a great hierarch. It happens that in difficult moments the Lord sends great people so that they can save the Church, work the way of trials and persecutions,” concluded the Bulgarian bishop.

As the UOJ reported, delegations from the Local Orthodox Churches arrived in Kiev to participate in the celebration of the Heavenly Patron's Day of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry. On June 23, 2019, delegations of the Alexandrian, Cyprus, Polish and American Churches arrived at the celebrations in honor of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, on June 24 – the Bulgarian, Serbian Churches, as well as the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia.

After the all-night vigil, His Beatitude received the delegation of the Local Orthodox Churches, who arrived at the celebration of the Heavenly Patron's Day of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

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