OCU cancels veneration of several Theotokos icons and "ROC-related saints"
The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Photo: wikimedia.org
The Synod of the OCU, which took place in Kyiv on July 14, made several calendrical decisions, as a result of which they abolished the veneration of several icons of the Mother of God and saints that, in their opinion, are exclusively associated with the Russian Orthodox Church, reports the OCU website.
It is reported that the following icons of the Holy Mother of God were excluded from the list of venerated icons: Kazan, Iveron, Troeruchytsia, and Semistrilna. According to the members of the OCU synod, these Theotokos icons are somehow connected with the history of the "Moscow state", and therefore have no place in the OCU church calendar.
In addition, Dumenko's structure excluded Saint Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow, Kyiv, and all Rus. The OCU claims that Saint Jonah, "contrary to the canons, without synodal decisions and the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch," divided the Kyiv Metropolis, effectively forming a separate Moscow Metropolis, and after that tried to establish control over the Kyiv See, where another metropolitan had been appointed.
As the UOUJ wrote, the "Holy Synod" of the OCU made an appeal, calling on all Orthodox Christians of Ukraine to "unite around the Kyiv throne".
Read also
Dumenko "blesses" SBU facility for forensic examination
The head of the OCU noted the "special role" of the Institute of Special Technology and Forensic Expertise of the SBU.
ROC head: Attempts to impose special powers of Pat. Bartholomew are sinful
Patriarch Kirill stated that the doctrine of special powers of the Patriarch of Constantinople is being imposed from outside.
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces LGBT festival near Sodom and Gomorrah
Israeli authorities are promoting a large-scale gay event at the Dead Sea on social media, which has caused criticism and bewilderment among Christians.
In Bila Tserkva, man nearly killed for greeting "Christ is risen!"
Two non-Orthodox individuals aged 19 and 23 tracked down a 35-year-old Orthodox Christian after an Easter greeting, knocked him down and inflicted several knife wounds to his abdomen and neck.
In Uganda, Islamists kill Protestant pastor after sermon
In Uganda, a Protestant church pastor who preached among Muslims was stabbed to death after a sermon.
Spanish court rules Jehovah’s Witnesses may be called a “destructive sect”
A court in Spain has upheld the right of critics of Jehovah’s Witnesses to speak openly about the group’s alleged harmfulness and danger to society.