Chancellor of UOC voices quantity of Church growth

Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Borispol and Brovary. Photo: Information and Education Department

Despite the persecution of the canonical Church, over the 5 years of the archpastoral service of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, the number of clergy and the number of parishes has only decreased, but increased significantly, said UOC Chancellor, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Borispol and Brovary, on the air of First Cossack.

According to him, 15 new hierarchs have joined the Episcopal ranks and now we have 100 hierarchs in the UOC. The number of clergy has increased by 439 people, hence 12,409 clergy of the canonical Church provide spiritual guidance to the flock.

“During this period, the number of monasteries has increased by 30 <...>. And today in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church there are 258 monasteries,” continued Metropolitan Anthony.

The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine recommended prohibiting the registration of new parishes of the canonical Church in the regions, but their number has nevertheless increased by 184, said the UOC Chancellor.

“Despite all the current problems, the Church is developing both quantitatively and qualitatively,” he emphasized.

Metropolitan Anthony also recalled that over this period, the Holy Synod of the UOC has canonized 16 ascetics of piety of the 20th century.

“The numbers always speak of the essence of life,” he commented on the development of the Church during the archpastoral ministry of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry.

Recall, on July 28, 2019, on the day of the 1031th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus, 3 saints were canonized in the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra – St. Basil (Bogdashevsky) the confessor, St. Sylvester (Malevansky), and KTA professor, holy martyr Alexander Glagolev. 

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