Who Patriarch Bartholomew tolerates in Ukraine and what he offers in return

"Tolerant" Patriarch Bartholomew and His Beatitude Onuphry. Photo: UOJ

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who calls himself “Most Holy,” in a letter to the OCU propagandists from the “Tserkvarium” resource, declared the bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church “temporarily tolerated” on the territory of Ukraine. It's a shame ... No, not for the Ukrainian bishops, but for Patriarch Bartholomew himself, for the fact that he allows lies and dirt to pour out of his lips. Let's look at one small example, WHOM and WHAT Patriarch Bartholomew “temporarily tolerates”. In this article, we will not delve into the intricacies of the canons and find out whether Patriarch Bartholomew has the right to command on the territory of Ukraine or not, all this has been repeatedly analised on our resource. Let's take a look at the personality of the Primate of the UOC and some of the bishops, the very ones whom the head of the Phanar so generously “tolerates”.

A year ago, the “Inter’ TV channel showed the documentary “Our Beatitude” about Metropolitan Onuphry. Today, when Patriarch Bartholomew called the Primate of the UOC "a hierarch residing in Kyiv", the title of this film acquired an additional and very deep meaning: Metropolitan Onuphry is not a titular bishop, "temporarily tolerated" in Kyiv until he agrees to go under the “omophorion" of Sergei Dumenko. Metropolitan Onuphry is OUR BEATITUDE. No matter what the citizen of Turkey Bartholomew (Archondonis) writes, we, millions of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, recognize him as our Primate, we testify of our faithfulness to the Church, which he serves in this highly-responsible position. Before our eyes, in a very difficult time, God put him at the helm of the Church, and subsequent years showed how merciful the Lord was to us, granting such a gracious archpastor.

The film begins with the story of how another bishop of the UOC, Metropolitan Longin (Zhar), came to an orphanage back in 1992 and adopted two little boys whom no one wanted to take into their family. For this he received the blessing of Metropolitan Onuphry, the then ruling bishop of the Chernivtsi Eparchy.

Metropolitan Longin: “Two children whom no one wanted to adopt, boys ... I was very much asked when we went to congratulate the children, they asked, if possible, that we take them. And we decided through His Beatitude Onuphry, then he was in our Chernivtsi Eparchy. I sought his advice and received a blessing for this. Vladyka, our Beatitude, is always like this: lifts his hands to the sky and says: ‘God bless’ and is very happy about this."

After the first two boys, the family of the then Archpriest Mikhail Zhar adopted two more children, then ten more. In the early 2000s, the orphanage, organized by Metropolitan Longin, was already home to more than 400 children, 82 of whom were HIV-positive, and another 86 with congenital disabilities.

Metropolitan Onuphry: “I listened and blessed him, but I thought: it’s interesting how it will look to take the children there ... Well, it may keep him up for a month, for three months, for a year, and then what to do with them? But I was wrong, he turned out to be ... much more than I imagined. Today, no one in the world does what he does. I can say this with full responsibility."

Metropolitan Onuphry is OUR BEATITUDE. No matter what the citizen of Turkey Bartholomew (Archondonis) writes, we, millions of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, recognize him as our Primate.

At first, the сhildren’s home was located at the Holy Ascension Monastery of Bancheny, which, incidentally, was also organized and built by Vladyka Longin and then transferred to the village of Molnitsa, Chernivtsi region. Nowadays, it is a whole town, consisting of beautiful and comfortable buildings, in which children gain the love and happiness of childhood, despite the severe disabilities of many of them.

Children with congenital malformations are a very difficult cross for parents. Many families do not bear it and abandon such children, dooming them to physical and psychological suffering throughout their lives, and themselves – to unbearable pangs of conscience that sooner or later comes. But the loving heart of Vladyka Longin embraces all these sick, suffering, abandoned ... He begs God for health to everyone and gives hope for the future.

Metropolitan Longin: “One boy had two malignant tumors. He was two years old and weighted five kilograms. The doctors came and said: “That's the end. An hour or two and he will die." He could hardly breath – once every two minutes. And when the doctors left, I began to cry over him, I took him in my arms, went up to the wonderworking Boyana Icon of the Mother of God, put him in front of the icon and said: “Mother of God, he is an orphan, he has no one in this world. Help him…".

The Most Holy Theotokos healed the baby. By the prayer of the righteous, only small scars remained from two tumors. Now he is a 25-year-old family man. Some children grow up, get married or go to the monastery, but they always remain in the heart of their father, Metropolitan Longin. With their adulthood, Vladyka Longin's big house does not become empty, other children find here affection, care and love.

Taking care of these children is not easy. It is not easy to support almost half a thousand orphans, feed them, clothe them, give them a roof over their heads. Sometimes you have to go through very difficult times.

Metropolitan Longin: “Whenever it was very hard for me, I called Vladyka Onuphry and said: 'Pray, Vladyka!' And we had such a hope that someone was leading us. It was the prayer of our Beatitude to the Almighty."

Metropolitan Onuphry: “I also often looked into the eyes of these children, and I did not see a trace of sadness there. <...> They receive more warmth there than most children receive from their own parents."

Metropolitan Onuphry: “This is a special feat that has a special price. Sacrificial love, which is the highest degree of human love.”

Thus, through the prayers and labours of His Beatitude Onuphry, Metropolitan Longin, nuns caring for children, benefactors, the children’s home lives in the village of Molnitsa. Throughout Ukraine, more than 12 thousand church communities, almost half a thousand monasteries, more than a hundred bishops serve God. And all these people are "temporarily tolerated" by a person who calls himself the head of the entire Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Bartholomew: "We temporarily tolerate the existence of Ukrainian hierarchs under Russia not as local ruling bishops, but only as titular or those who are (have a residence) in Ukraine ...".

That is, according to Patriarch Bartholomew, there is no place for everything mentioned above in Ukraine. And what does he offer in return? And in return, he suggests following Sergei Dumenko and his supporters, who, instead of caring for orphans, praying, and living a righteous life, commit the following:

There are plenty of these photos and videos on the Internet. In them, supporters of Sergei Dumenko, whom Patriarch Bartholomew calls "the canonical Metropolitan of Kyiv", seize churches, cut down locks, beat priests ... Not a single word of condemnation of these iniquities has come either from the Patriarch of Constantinople or from Dumenko ...

What kind of heart does one have to “temporarily tolerate” good and bless iniquity?!

Let's try to look at the whole situation from the outside – where is the Gospel love in all this? Who is Christ behind? His Beatitude Onuphry or Patriarch Bartholomew (not to mention Dumenko)?

And even if there is no Eucharistic communion with Patriarch Bartholomew today, no one forbade you to pray for him. And his soul needs prayer badly now ...

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