Usyk: I am guided by UOC Primate in matters of faith
Oleksandr Usyk at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Photo: UOC
World heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has shared who guides him in his faith. “His Beatitude Onuphry. And Bishop Spiridon (likely referring to Bishop Spiridon of Vasylkiv, who was deprived of Ukrainian citizenship in 2023 – Ed.),” Usyk said. This was reported by the Tribuna publication.
On August 25, Usyk was spotted attending a service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. This occurred the day after Usyk met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During that meeting, the boxer presented Zelensky with his WBC heavyweight champion belt.
As reported by the UOJ, on August 24, 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada, Law No. 8371 “On Protecting the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Religious Organizations,” which aims to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Read also
Priests and laity of Rivne Eparchy donate blood for children with cancer
In Rivne, the UOC clergy and laity have donated blood for children undergoing treatment for cancer.
Kyiv seminary students meet with People’s Artist Larisa Kadochnikova
Students of Kyiv’s theological schools spoke with the legend of Ukrainian cinema, who shared her memories of filming "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors".
Bancheny Monastery reports provocation
The UOC monastery in Bancheny has reported a provocation by unidentified individuals.
Romanian Church to hold joint prayer for peace in Ukraine
On the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, special prayers for an end to the hostility will be offered in all churches of the Romanian Patriarchate, both in the country and abroad.
Armenian bishops call on authorities to stop Church persecution
At a meeting in Austria, hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church reaffirmed their faithfulness to Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians and called on the authorities to stop the persecution of the clergy.
Italian media: Ukrainian authorities persecute the country’s largest confession
The Italian outlet L’Identità reported on mass searches, the arrests of clergy, and the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which it describes as the largest Church in Ukraine.