Chancellor: Istanbul hooting won't shake our flock's love for His Beatitude
Primate of the UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry. Photo: news.church.ua
It is impossible to shake the authority of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine and the love for him on the part of the flock of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with a shout from Istanbul. Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Boryspil and Brovary, Chancellor of the UOC, said this in an interview with Vesti.ua.
Commenting on the recent statements of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople that he does not consider His Beatitude Onuphry as Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine and only “temporarily tolerates” the UOC, Metropolitan Anthony stressed that “no one can remove the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and millions of its parishioners from reality.”
“We can be ignored and disregarded, but we cannot be wiped out of reality. Nor can a hoot from Istanbul shake the authority of our Beatitude Metropolitan and the love of our flock for him,” he added.
However, in the opinion of Metropolitan Anthony, the words spoken by Patriarch Bartholomew “may indicate that Phanar is only waiting for the right political timing to destroy our Church <...> because now the process of pressure on the UOC has significantly decreased. So, apparently, the Patriarch of Constantinople has to ‘temporarily tolerate’ the UOC and its Primate until he has got the earliest opportunity to change the situation in his favor."
We will remind, earlier the Primate of the UOC exhorted to be ready, first of all, spiritually for negative ramifications from the visit of the Patriarch of Constantinople to Ukraine, if any.
Read also
Kosovo to enact law restricting Serbian Church, experts say
Analysts warn that the new "Law on Foreigners" in Kosovo could restrict the presence of clergy, believers' access to shrines, and increase pressure on the Serbian community.
Congress Speaker: Demand to introduce Sharia law in USA is a serious problem
The Speaker of the House of Representatives stated that there is growing concern in society about attempts to impose Islamic law, which is incompatible with the American Constitution.
UK government introduces restrictions on "anti-Muslim hostility"
UK authorities have adopted a new definition of "Islamophobia" which, according to experts, could provide Muslims with special protection and restrict freedom of speech.
Dumenko brings icon in Church Slavonic to Ministry of Health
Epifaniy presented cardiologists with an Intercession icon, with inscriptions in Church Slavonic, which his structure calls a "sign of the Moscow tradition".
ISIS supporters carries out terrorist attack at anti-Islamic protest in NY
Near the home of New York's Muslim mayor, radicals threw two makeshift bombs at protesters during an anti-Islamic rally.
Hryshchuk: If UOC hands over its church itself, angle grinders aren't needed
An OCU chaplain called on UOC believers to accept the loss of the shrine for the sake of their own "enlightenment".