UGCC calls to get rid of the "Moscow" St. Demetrius Saturday

Uniates do not want to pray on St. Demetrius Saturday because it is "Moscow". Photo: Unian

A number of priests of the UGCC called to abandon the practice of commemorating the deceased on St. Demetrius Saturday because it is "Moscow". This, in particular, was written on Facebook by Ivan Dutka, who was reposted by UGCC theologian Yuriy (Yustyn) Boyko.

Dutka believes that Greek Catholics should forget about St. Demetrius Saturday because "the special commemoration of the deceased on this day is a Moscow custom, which got into our churches through the Orthodox Church, which was in Moscow captivity for centuries".

He points out that the mention of St. Demetrius Saturday appeared in the prayer book of the Kyiv Orthodox Metropolitan Peter Mohyla and cites the opinion of the Greek Catholic priest of the USA, Katriy, that "this custom came to us from the Moscow Church".

At the same time, Peter Mohyla was a bishop of the Church of Constantinople, and he published his prayer book in 1646, 42 years before the Kyiv Metropolitanate joined the Russian Church.

Nevertheless, the UGCC demands to get rid of St. Demetrius Saturday and tie the "general commemoration of the dead" to the commemoration of the Holodomor victims.

As earlier reported, the Uniates blamed Moscow for the reluctance of Transcarpathians to unite with the UGCC.

Read also

TRC detains multi-child father and UOC deacon in Lutsk

Deacon Andriy Virny of the Three Holy Hierarchs Church had an official deferment and three children, however TRC employees detained him, insulting him for his affiliation with the UOC.

Usyk: Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra proves the antiquity of the Ukrainian nation

Speaking in the United States, the world champion described the Kyiv monastery as evidence that the Ukrainian nation has lived on its land for thousands of years.

UOC priest wounded in drone strike in Bilopillia

Priest Maksym Andrukhov sustained shrapnel wounds to his arm, head and leg; his mother Valentyna was also injured.

Culture Ministry allows possibility of handing Lavra’s “Afghan” church to OCU

The Ministry of Culture is ready to consider handing over to the OCU the Resurrection Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, known as the “Afghan” church.

In Cyprus, enthronement of new Metropolitan of Paphos held amid protests

The enthronement of the new Paphos hierarch was performed by Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus at St. Theodore’s Cathedral.

Official complains that believers are defending monastery in Kremenets

The director of the Kremenets Reserve complained that a large number of believers gathered at the monastery to support the monastic community during an attempted inspection.