UOC hierarch: Shameless people contrast the positions of UOC Primates

Memorial service at the grave of the deceased Primate of the UOC. Photo: Information and Education Department

His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan) of Kiev and All Ukraine always understood that the Church should remain the Church and insisted that the split should be resolved on the basis of canon law. Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Boryspil and Brovary, the UOC Chancellor, said this in an interview with Glavcom.

“Even before becoming a bishop, I had a very close relationship with Metropolitan Vladimir,” noted the hierarch. “Because I held the positions of head of the Office of the Kiev Metropolis, rector of the Kiev Theological Academy, and currently I am a chancellor of the Church. What some people now write and say about the standpoint of His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir is not true. I mean his attitude towards the church schism.”

His Eminence recalled that His Beatitude Vladimir "insisted that the schism be resolved on the basis of canon law" and "understood that the Church should remain the Church."

“Everything being ascribed to him in an effort to contrast his position with the position of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry is wrong and unscrupulous. His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir would say long ago that Metropolitan Onuphry of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna was his most worthy successor. They had known each other for decades. Therefore, we can now witness this succession: His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry continues what His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir began,” stressed the UOC Chancellor.

Recall that earlier the UOC spokesman, Archpriest Nikolai Danilevich, turned to the spokesman of the newly formed church structure, Eustraty Zoria, who stated that the creation of the OCU is the embodiment of the dream of Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan): “You shouldn’t ascribe your desires retrospectively to the ever-memorable His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir. You did not know him closely. Only, perhaps, mainly in stories about him and in a few short meetings. We knew him because we were near him, because we are his Church. You do not belong to his Church…. Therefore, do not disturb with your speculation the memory of His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir and do not use his name for the sake of your ideology.”

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