He lied again: Dumenko says OCU united three branches of Orthodoxy

Epiphany Dumenko. Photo: glavred.info

On August 22, 2021, after a joint liturgy with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko said that his religious structure united three branches of Orthodoxy in Ukraine, the official website of the OCU reports.

Addressing the head of Phanar, Dumenko once again lied, saying that "in the Cathedral of St. Sophia, on December 15, 2018, a Unification Council took place, which formed a single local Ukrainian Orthodox Church from three divided branches."

Dumenko claims that "the Council of the Church of Ukraine has forever turned the page of the previous divisions" and "approved a single local Church."

He stressed that it was thanks to this “unification council” that on January 6, 2019, the OCU received the Tomos of Autocephaly.

At the same time, Epiphany admitted that “not all Orthodox Christians in Ukraine have yet learned the fullness of the truth, not everyone follows the teachings of the Church and the canonical order, still holding on to division and alienating themselves from communion.”

Nevertheless, the head of the OCU is sure there will be a "God blessed time" when all Orthodox Christians in Ukraine "will learn the truth and will merge into the fullness of the local Ukrainian Orthodox Church."

Recall that the so-called "unification council" was attended by the "hierarchs" of the UOC-KP, the UAOC and only two bishops of the UOC – Metropolitan Simeon (Shostatsky) and Metropolitan Alexander (Drabinko).

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that according to Epiphany Dumenko, the OCU "united three branches of Ukrainian Orthodoxy".

Read also

DESS: The number of communities joining OCU in 2024 is half of last year’s

Over a year, 232 communities of the UOC changed their jurisdiction.

Scale of internal damage to UOC cathedral in Zaporizhzhia shown online

The video allows viewers to assess the damage endured by the main Orthodox church of the UOC in Zaporizhzhia.

Ex-MP UOC protodeacon Novinsky declared suspicion of high treason

The former MP is accused of "ensuring that a significant part of Ukrainian society, who are believers of the UOC, remain under the direct influence of the leader of the ROC".

St Andrew’s icon survives under the rubble of UOC cathedral in Zaporizhzhia

The icon was painted by nuns of the St Nicholas Monastery in Patras (Greece) and consecrated on the relics of St Andrew the Apostle.

RF missile strike destroys St Andrew's Cathedral of UOC in Zaporizhzhia

The fragments damaged the roof of the building, dome, ceilings, cut windows and disfigured classrooms.

Media shows conditions in which persecuted communities of Volyn have to pray

After their churches were seized, UOC faithful are compelled to pray in poorly equipped facilities.