"Pig Keeper" and "Queen": Who does OCU hold up as an example?

"Archimandrite" Varsonofy Kachan is preparing to receive "ordination" from Filaret Denysenko. Photo: UOJ

In 2019, the "Honorary Patriarch" of the OCU, Filaret Denysenko (who is still in the clergy of the Dumenko-led structure), decided to resume the activities of the UOC-KP and began "ordaining" new "bishops" for his "synod".

In just a few months, Filaret "consecrated" eight "hierarchs", among whom was the "archimandrite" of the OCU, Varsonofy Kachan. By the example of this individual, we will once again show that none of the good and normal priest goes into a schism. Moreover, we will once again see that both Dumenko's and Filaret's structures accept anyone – even those who are seriously ill.

"Pig Keeper"

This story, full of satire and unexpected twists, revolves around Varsonofy Kachan, who first joined the OCU, then moved to the UOC-KP, and eventually returned to the OCU. And it ends in a rather tragic way… So, let's begin.

In January 2019, Varsonofy Kachan, realising that he was facing a potential ban from the priesthood (the reasons: passion for women and wine), left the Khmelnytsky Eparchy of the UOC to join the OCU, where he received a rapid "career" growth.

At that time, the "bishop" of the OCU in the Khmelnytsky region, Antoniy Makhota, was not at all bothered by the dubious background of his new clergyman. In fact, by April 2019, Makhota ordained Kachan as "archimandrite".

Almost immediately (or, according to some sources, a month before receiving the "archimandrite" title), Varsonofy left the OCU for the UOC-KP, where in December 2019, he became the "bishop" of Khmelnytsky and Kamianets-Podilskyi. And that's where things started to get really interesting.

The ordination of "Archimandrite" Varsonofy Kachan as "bishop"

In 2020, Varsonofy Kachan, while holding the title of "bishop" in the UOC-KP, earned the nickname "Pig Keeper" in schismatic circles. The reason was that he posted the following advertisement on his official Facebook page: "I’ll buy a pig weighing up to 100-1200 0671718500".

This advertisement sparked sharp condemnation from Filaret Denysenko's supporters, including Neonila Tkachenko, the head of the Legal Department of the UOC-KP. She publicly remarked that such advertisements should not be posted on the page of an "archbishop". In response, Varsonofy said: "Ms Neonila, no one gave you the right to tell the Archbishop, give advice to your subordinates’ (the style of the original mistakes has been preserved).

Later, a photo of Varsonofy sitting in a cage for transporting pigs appeared online, as well as information that he had been married three times. As a result, the chancellery of the UOC-KP decided that such a character disgraces even their “episcopate” and prepared a decision to retire him. Varsonofy decided not to tempt fate and, having written a repentance letter, asked to return to Epifaniy, taking with him 105,000 hryvnias from the Kyiv Patriarchate allegedly for the construction of a cathedral, as well as vestments and panagia, which he ‘borrowed’ from the sacristy of St Vladimir Cathedral of the UOC-KP.

“Bishop” Varsonofy Kachan in a pig cage

An example for the OCU to follow 

Varsonofy’s return to the OCU structure was not just welcomed but greeted with enthusiasm. It was this man whom Epifaniy Dumenko cited as an example at the "Bishops’ Council" of his structure in 2022.

Here’s what he said at the time: "But apart from the sad events, we must also mention the good ones. A clergyman from the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy of the OCU, Archimandrite Varsonofy (Kachan), who in December 2019 deviated from church unity, recently approached the Primate with a letter of repentance, asking to be reinstated to the clergy of the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy of the OCU and to be blessed to continue his priestly ministry. Let this example serve as guidance for the other few clergymen of our Church who have also deviated from unity – they can continue their priestly ministry in the Local Church or be condemned as its opponents."

In other words, Dumenko clearly signalled that, despite the numerous dark spots in Varsonofy’s biography, despite the scandals and behaviour that were unbefitting not only of a "bishop" but of any Christian, Varsonofy Kachan was a model for all those who wanted to carry out their "priestly ministry" in the OCU. Well, "Archimandrite" Kachan did just that...

According to the information we have, he was repeatedly involved in the seizure of UOC temples in the Khmelnytsky region, participated in the persecution of UOC clergy and laity, and generally did all the things that many OCU clergy are known to do. However, as it later emerged, in his "priestly minstry in the Local Church", which received the Tomos from Patriarch Bartholomew, Varsonofy went even further than other "priests" of Dumenko’s structure, for which in November 2023, he was officially removed from the staff of the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy of the OCU.

It should be noted that being removed from the staff is not the same as a ban from the priesthood. A priest who is "removed from the staff" in an eparchy does not have a permanent parish but still remains an active clergyman of the eparchy. This means that, until today, "Archimandrite" Varsonofy is still an active and legal cleric of the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy of the OCU. And it is in this status that he appeared in a video from one of the Khmelnytskyi public groups.

In this short video we see an ‘archimandrite’ of the OCU, who, being not quite sober, is fighting with an equally not quite sober girl. What can be said about this?

As a person, he is undoubtedly to be pitied. He suffers from alcoholism, and, judging by the photos in the pig cages, he also has mental or intellectual problems. And from this point of view, we do not judge him – God is his judge.

But we have the right to speak of the OCU as a structure that picks up all those who have serious problems – both moral (first and foremost) and psychological. In this sense, Varsonofy Kachan is by no means an isolated case.

For example, the ‘bishop’ of the OCU, Adrian Kulik, brutally beat up his neighbor in October 2021, for which he was removed from the staff (rather than banned).

Equally notorious is the current "bishop" of the OCU, Tykhon Petraniuk, an LNR agent with the nickname "Queen", against whom the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) opened a criminal case in 2022.

It's noteworthy that Petraniuk is not only a person accused of collaborating with the intelligence services of the aggressor state but also someone who has successfully "scammed" businessmen out of their money.

Epifaniy Dumenko is well aware of this... yet does nothing about it. Or rather, he does something – he rewards Petraniuk. But it's clear that an award is not only a recognition of achievements but also a call to follow. In other words, by rewarding Petraniuk, Dumenko holds him up as an example. The question is: for what?

Another question is why the SBU, which examines sermons by UOC priests, does not notice the passport of a citizen of the “Donetsk People's Republic” held by Petraniuk.

In reality, neither Kachan, nor Kulyk, nor Petraniuk are exceptions in Dumenko’s structure. Because besides the aforementioned "bishops" (and Kachan has exactly the same "ordination" as Dumenko, meaning a Filaret-style one), the OCU also has "priests" who fight, swear, etc.

What does all this indicate? It points to one characteristic trend: clergy who move from the UOC to the OCU often have serious moral and disciplinary issues.

The story of "Archimandrite" Varsonofy Kachan is a vivid example. He found himself at the centre of numerous scandals, accusations of theft, and personal problems. Leaving the UOC became an opportunity for him to escape accountability and continue his "ministry" in the newly created jurisdiction, whose leadership simply turns a blind eye to the most base and immoral actions.

But why the OCU accepts clerics with such reputations, holding them up as an example and presenting it as a success is a question that should be asked not only to Dumenko but also to Patriarch Bartholomew, who legalized all these “pig keepers” and “queens” with a stroke of the pen.

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