UOC hierarch: Countries and regimes change while Church Slavonic remains
Archbishop Viktor of Khmelnytskyi. Photo: the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy’s YouTube channel
On the day of commemoration of the Monk Nestor the Chronicler, Archbishop Viktor of Khmelnytskyi noted that the saint is called the father of our history. On the YouTube channel of the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy, the hierarch spoke about the importance of the Church Slavonic language.
"The Church Slavonic language has been expressing the God-revealed truth to us for a thousand years, and therefore is sacred to us," the archbishop said.
He stressed that during all this time the state borders, ideologies, and public sentiments have changed many times. And the Church Slavonic language continues to live in church worship.
"It carries a certain mystery joined with solemnity. It is as if the whole history of our people is intertwined in it. In it, there is also the memory of our Cossacks who defended the Church from Catholicization and Polonization, from the influence of the Union and Latin. This is the language of our heart," said the archbishop.
He pointed out that the Church Slavonic language is often confused with Old Slavonic, but these are different languages. Old Slavonic was the language of everyday communication in Rus, and Church Slavonic was used only in divine services.
According to the hierarch, this language is "neither Russian nor Ukrainian, it is the common language of all Slavs", which is used by Churches in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic and Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and the USA.
Archbishop Viktor recalled that back in the 90s, the UOC authorised the use of the Ukrainian language in church services in divine services where 2/3 of the religious community would make such a decision.
At the same time, according to the bishop, the language of worship should not be a reason to divide the community into "friends" and "foes" or to manipulate public opinion about the status of the parish.
Read also
Ultra-Orthodox Jews paralyze traffic in Israel over arrest of draft evaders
Ultra-Orthodox demonstrators blocked highways and railway tracks, demanding an end to the arrest of those refusing military service.
Patronal feast celebrated at Kherson cathedral damaged by shelling
Because of damage caused by Russian shelling, the festal Liturgy on the Day of the Holy Spirit was celebrated for the first time in the lower church of the Kherson Eparchy’s cathedral.
Kremenchuk Eparchy comments on situation around Holy Trinity Cathedral
The UOC emphasized that any disputes regarding the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kremenchuk should be resolved exclusively within the legal framework.
4,000 faithful celebrate patronal feast of Holy Spirit Skete of Pochaiv Lavra
The celebration of the Day of the Holy Spirit brought together pilgrims from across Ukraine at the skete of Pochaiv Lavra.
OCU supporters prepare to seize UOC church in Kolonshchyna
In a village in Kyiv Region, OCU supporters held what parishioners describe as an unlawful meeting to “transfer” a UOC parish, despite the religious community having already reaffirmed its loyalty to its Church.
His Beatitude officiates at Liturgy in Kyiv on Day of the Holy Spirit
At the church complex dedicated to the Icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” in Kyiv, the Primate of the UOC celebrated the festal Liturgy and offered prayers for peace in Ukraine.