Met. Onuphry speaks about the purpose of OCA Primate's visit to Ukraine

Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine and Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada in Chernivtsi. Photo: news.church.ua

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry welcomed the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, to Ukraine during a service at the Holy Spirit Cathedral of the UOC in Chernivtsi on June 1st. This was reported by the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

"Today we have a distinguished guest with us, the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, His Beatitude Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada. On behalf of all of you gathered here today in this temple, I want to congratulate His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon on his arrival in Ukraine. Welcome to Ukraine!" said the UOC Primate.

Metropolitan Onuphry noted that this is the second visit of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon to Ukraine.

"His Beatitude has come here to share with us the great joy of the feast of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. And to pay homage to our Ukrainian shrines, to pray to God for peace in our Ukrainian land and among our people," he said.

The Primate wished the distinguished guest grace and assistance in his Primatial ministry.

"Right now, the whole world is traversing difficult times, everyone has a need in the grace of God – both Ukrainians who have been suffering from warfare, and the American people, who have their own trials; everyone needs the grace of God. I wish that the grace of God would fill our lands, our people, our hearts, that it would comfort us all," said His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry.

As the UOJ reported, the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America called on the authorities of Ukraine to respect religious freedom.

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