Metropolitan Anthony: They prefer not to notice our aid to AFU

A UOC priest with AFU military men. Photo: ukraine2day.com

Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Boryspil and Brovary, the UOC Chancellor, said in a report for 2022 that the UOC’s aid provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces is left unnoticed, reports news.church.ua.

According to Metropolitan Anthony, more than 180 tons of humanitarian aid was handed over to the AFU and territorial defence fighters, and about 20 million hryvnias were spent on building materials, wood, camouflage nets and ammunition, in addition, medical aid was provided to wounded soldiers in the amount of almost 4 million hryvnias.

"For our defenders, 80 vehicles have been purchased and handed over. Eparchies in the border regions have spent more than 1 million hryvnias for the purchase of concrete blocks and bricks for defensive structures to build roadblocks. More than 20,000 trench candles have already been handed over to the military. Various actions are being held in UOC eparchies in support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Thus, the action "The UOC thanks the AFU" raised more than 500 thousand hryvnias in total. Bishops, the clergy, students of theological schools and the laity regularly donate blood for the wounded and injured. The total amount of aid for the AFU is almost 30 million hryvnias," he added.

"It must be stated that the feasible and real help of the UOC in overcoming the war, unfortunately, has remained almost unnoticed in society. On the contrary, raiding UOC temples, including with the help of local authorities has intensified, and the religious hostility towards the UOC has artificially increased. Representatives of other denominations, some deputies and public officials, abusing their power and office, make illegal and unfounded accusations against our Church. They conduct searches in the eparchial offices, temples and monasteries of our Church, as well as in the homes of bishops and clergymen, resulting in the appearance of leaflets that have never existed, or symbols that can discredit the religious organization. All this and much more serves as a basis for political slogans to ban the activities of the UOC," resumed Metropolitan Anthony.

As earlier reported, the Chancellor said how many UOC churches were destroyed and priests killed.

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