Bp. Victor (Kotsaba): Everybody can come to UOC temple and they'll get help
Chief of Staff of the Kiev Metropolitanate of the UOC Bishop Victor (Kotsaba) of Baryshevka. Photo: screenshot of the video on 1Kozak YouTube channel
The chief of staff of the Kiev Metropolitanate of the UOC, Bishop Victor (Kotsaba) of Baryshevka, spoke on the air of 1Kozak about the social service of the Church under the coronavirus quarantine and said that the churches are ready to provide targeted assistance and support to everyone who needs it.
“Every person can turn to any temple of the UOC at their place of residence and they will certainly receive support and assistance there,” Vladyka Victor noted.
He reminded that temples and monasteries organized workshops for sewing protective medical masks, parishes are engaged in fundraising and provide targeted assistance to older people; together with the Vadim Novinsky’s charitable foundation in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God, lung ventilators were purchased and transferred to medical institutions in Ukraine.
“Today we are trying to support people in this misfortune on our own. But the main thing that the Church should do is pray. <...> At such times, when the Lord sends certain trials, the Church always offers prayers and assistance to Her people,” the UOC hierarch said.
Vladyka Victor explained that worship in churches continues, while the clergy and laity comply with all the authorities' instructions regarding the coronavirus quarantine. The bishop recommended that the parishioners of the UOC continue to adhere to quarantine standards and avoid crowds.
“We need to pull our strength, we need to reassure ourselves, our friends and relatives and take it as a challenge, as a test of the present time from our Lord <...>,” the UOC hierarch emphasized. “It is with this attitude that when a person invokes God's help in his life, he will be able to overcome all the difficulties of our time. If we are with God, then the Lord will be with us.”
Bishop Victor urged believers to believe and hope that in the near future the coronavirus epidemic and the related difficulties will be left behind.
Earlier, the UOC handed over 12.5 thousand PCR tests to Kiev hospitals for COVID-19 diagnosis.
Read also
Church celebrates feast of Holy Foremost Apostles Peter and Paul
On July 12, the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Apostles' Fast (Peter's Fast) comes to an end for Orthodox Christians.
UGCC cleric criticizes OCU head for awarding Greek Catholic officials
Hieromonk Yustyn Boiko of the Lviv Archeparchy called the awarding of church honors to officials a profanation and cited the example of an OCU order presented to a Greek Catholic official.
Expert who found no defamation in Dumenko’s remarks to face disciplinary action
An Interior Ministry research center has confirmed disciplinary measures against the expert whose findings supported what the Metropolitan’s representatives described as unfounded accusations by the OCU head against Metropolitan Theodosiy.
European Parliament condemns forced Islamization of children in Pakistan
The European Parliament has called on Pakistan to establish a mechanism to protect Christian families.
Church of the Presentation damaged by shelling in Russia’s Kursk Region
The newly built church in the village of Kulbaki, Glushkovo District, was completely gutted by fire after being struck by a projectile.
UOC priests take part in celebrations at Romania’s Putna Monastery
Clergy of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy took part in a festive service at the ancient shrine of the Romanian Orthodox Church.