OCU "hierarch" thanks his clerics for not going to competitor

"Hierarch" of the OCU Afanasy Shkurupiy. Photo: Facebook/Афанасій Шкурупій

The head of the Kharkiv-Poltava Eparchy of the OCU Afanasy Shkurupiy, who earlier accused the “hierarch” of the Kharkiv Eparchy Mitrofan Butynsky of the raider seizure of churches, thanked the clergy who did not go to a competitor.

“We walked honestly, we have no grain of untruth behind us,” Shkurupiy wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday, June 6. “I sincerely thank the priests and believers of the Kharkiv Regional Deanery of the Kharkiv-Poltava Eparchy, who remained faithful and loyal to our historical eparchy and my hierarchical omophorion. Thank you for your understanding of the situation and strong support."

The "hierarch" urged not to forget that "where the bishop is, there is the Church".

“We will survive the apostasy of individuals, shake off the dust from our shoes, wash away the dirt that “brothers” and “sisters” pour on us, and we will further develop both the deanery and the eparchy. I believe you, I hope for you, you are my support! Know – I am with you, and you be with me! Deepest gratitude to you and God's blessing!" wrote Shkurupiy.

As reported earlier, the “hierarchs” of the OCU Afanasy Shkurupiy and Mitrofan Butynsky, who come from the UAOC and the UOC-KP, cannot divide the churches in the Kharkiv region.

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