Ukrainian Phanariots of Hamburg hold a common "liturgy" with Lutherans

Orthodox-Lutheran "liturgy" in Hamburg. Photo: Facebook Florina Chudnovska

On December 25, 2022 in Hamburg, in the Lutheran Cathedral in honor of the Apostle Andrew, a joint “liturgy” was held between representatives of the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the Diaspora” and Lutherans. This was reported on the Facebook page “Feine Ukraine – Verein der deutsch-ukrainischen Zusammenarbeit”.

“Today, a unique historical Christmas service took place. A joint liturgy, in which there were two Eucharist, Orthodox and Protestant,” the message says.

The "liturgy" was officiated by Yaroslav Bogodist, rector of the community in honor of St. Nicholas of Myra in Hamburg, on the part of the Ukrainian Phanariotes and Dr. Kord Schoeler on the part of the Lutherans.

The photograph of the "liturgy" features Bogodist and Shoeler in liturgical vestments standing together in front of the altar, on which there is an object similar to a paten covered with fabric.

One of the parishioners of the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the Diaspora in honor of St. Nicholas” community, Florina Chudnovska, wrote on her Facebook that this is “the first Orthodox Christmas together with Christians in Europe, a step into the future of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Abroad.”

“Someday later, historians will appreciate the significance of today. Liturgy in Ukrainian and psalms in German, accompanied by an organ, is our new European Christmas, unity and mutual enrichment of two Christian worlds,” Chudnovska believes.

The former community of the UOC-KP, which is now called the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the Diaspora in honor of St. Nicholas”, is currently subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, specifically to Metropolitan Daniil (Zelinsky) of Pamphylon.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the "archbishop" was concelebrated by a Catholic priest in the Ternopil diocese of the OCU.

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