Patriarch Theophilos: UOC clergy can always serve in Jerusalem

His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem. Photo: crimea.kp.ru

His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem assured the hierarchs and clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that they could constantly serve in the Holy Land and expressed his recognition to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry and the fullness of the UOC, reports the UOC Information and Education Department citing the words of Met. Pimen of Dubno, a vicar of the Rovno Eparchy, who is on a pilgrimage tour to the Holy Land at the moment. 

According to Bishop Pimen, the delegation of the UOC was very warmly received in the Jerusalem Patriarchate and proposed to concelebrate on the feast day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Vladyka Pimen noted that besides the clergy of the UOC, representatives of the Jerusalem, Serbian, Romanian Orthodox Churches concelebrated with Patriarch Theophilos III in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher that day.

“Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem assured us that we can always serve both in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and in the temples of Palestine and expressed his recognition to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry and the whole Church he heads,” the UOC hierarch emphasized.

Moreover, the vicar of the Rovno Eparchy noted that in Jerusalem the hierarchs of the Orthodox Churches asked the bishops, clergy and faithful of the UOC: “Is your Primate Metropolitan Onuphry?” and greeted them joyfully.

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