Vinnytsia priest of UOC: Shifting to OCU is like betraying parents

Archpriest Vladimir Tiutenko. Photo: a screenshot from the Youtube channel of the Vinnytsia Eparchy of the UOC

Archpriest Vladimir Tiutenko, the rector of the St. Luke the Crimean Church of the UOC in Vinnytsia, said on the Youtube channel of the Vinnytsia Eparchy that in his parish there was no question of transferring to the OCU, and the parishioners themselves perceived the fact of the emergence of a new religious organization as a betrayal of the Church, faith and compared it with the betrayal of their parents. 

According to Fr Vladimir, in his parish the issue of transferring to the OCU was not raised at all: “We held a general meeting and maybe 1-2 people left for some reason. And all the rest were unanimously determined not to change their faith.”

The rector of the church of the St. Luke the Crimean Church said that there were some clergymen in Vinnytsia who were thinking whether or not such a transfer would be canonical, but their parishes were so sure of the inadmissibility of such a step that they did not go further.

“I know city churches where the parish has kept priests. The priest wondered whether the transfer was canonical or not, but the people said no. It was simple and clear for everyone, this is how to betray your Church,” the priest summed up. 

As reported, Metropolitan Varsonofy recalled what Shostatsky spoke about the UOC in 2014.

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