Clergy and laity of Rovno Eparchy hold a forum on situation in Church

Forum "Orthodoxy and the Challenges of Modernity". Photo: UOJ

On December 6, 2019, with the blessing of Metropolitan Bartholomew of Rovno and Ostrog, the first forum for active priests and laity “Orthodoxy and the Challenges of Modernity” was held in the Rovno Eparchy. For the first time in the history of the eparchial administration, the laity, active Orthodox intelligentsia, were entrusted to organize the event, reports a UOJ correspondent.

As the organizing committee explained, the main purpose of the event is to search for new tools and ways to work with young people, to establish mutual assistance and support in case of problems in parishes.

“This summer, at one of the meetings, the idea arose among active parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – scientists, teachers, journalists – to do some kind of event that would bring together concerned people to serve together for the good of the Church,” said Archpriest Alexander Zhuk, one of the organizers . “The organizing committee of the forum included only two clerics: a spiritual inspirer of the forum Bishop Pimen of Dubno, who was engaged in the work of our creative group, and me.”

The forum's agenda included plenary reports and discussion panels, during which everyone could ask questions to the speaker. According to the organizers, people welcomed this format of meetings, so the lively discussions of the participants, who numbered about two hundred people, continued both in the conference room and outside it.

“I am pleased that our Church today is introducing new forms of work with people and priests,” said one of the forum participants, Tatyana Tsaruk. “I have earlier participated in similar events, only organized by the Kiev Metropolis, so I’m glad that our eparchy introduced such a communication.”

Well-known Orthodox speakers were invited to participate in the event. In particular, Archpriest Alexander Klimenko, the winner of the “Voice of the Country” vocal show, and Archpriest Alexei Dobosh, a professor of the Kiev Theological Academy.

“This is really relevant, and the need to hold such events is obvious: there are many urgent problems which require collegial solutions and practical proposals from those who have already met, experienced, solved them and gone ahead,” Father Alexander Klimenko wrote on his personal Facebook page at the end of the forum. “On the day of my heavenly patron, the Holy Prince Alexander, I was glad to join in such an event and serve, at least to a small degree with my little experience, to my Church.”

At the end of the event, all participants joined the drafting of the resolution, which outlined a plan of activities to implement by the forum participants over the next year.

As reported by the UOJ, on December 28, 2019, the annual Olympics of Orthodox youth “Bible Experts” will be held in the Rovno Eparchy.

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