Drabinko justifies shift for OCU with "upbringing by Metropolitan Vladimir"

Ex-Metropolitan of the UOC Alexander Drabinko. Photo: liga.net

Ex-Metropolitan of the UOC, “Metropolitan” of the OCU, Alexander Drabinko, in an interview with Ukrainian Radio, explained his shift for the OCU by the fact that he was brought up “in that direction” by His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan).

A listener called on the radio and asked Drabinko to explain why he had joined the OCU.

“Old people used to say that the bird that shits in its own nest is bad. I remember that under the late Metropolitan Vladimir you were a journalist ... but thanks to the late Metropolitan Vladimir you became a deacon, a priest, and so on. Now I don’t understand, and I’m already an old person, how it is possible to move from one confession to another, it’s like from house to house…,” asked the listener, whose question was interrupted by those present in the studio.

In reply, Drabinko said that his actions were conditioned by the very upbringing that he received under the late Metropolitan Vladimir.

“If you quoted folk art, then I will say that an apple doesn't fall far from the tree. And if I had not been brought up in the same vein and with the desire that I realized in my life by the same Metropolitan Vladimir, then I probably would not have done it,” Drabinko said.

Statements that the late His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir would have been glad to establish the OCU are not uncommon for schismatics. At the same time, the late Metropolitan Vladimir himself repeatedly and quite clearly stated that the Ukrainians already have a single canonical Holy Apostolic Church. The UOJ analyzed in detail who and how created the myth about the "struggle" of Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan) for the autocephaly of the UOC.

Alexander Drabinko in 1998 became an assistant to Metropolitan Vladimir of Kyiv and All Ukraine (Sabodan). Metropolitan Vladimir personally ordained Drabinko as deacon, presbyter and bishop. In 2006, Drabinko was appointed personal secretary of Metropolitan Vladimir. In those years, Alexander Drabinko actively fought against schismatic organizations: while still an assistant to Metropolitan Vladimir, he prepared a brochure "Why schismatic groups in Ukraine are called non-canonical", and based on his scenario, there was made a film "Anatomy of schism" in 2003. Already being the bishop and secretary of the late Metropolitan Vladimir, Drabinko actively promoted the renaming of Mazepa Street into Lavrska Street, and now he served a “memorial liturgy” for Ivan Mazepa.

The UOJ wrote what His Beatitude Vladimir actually said about the schism and what the late Primate dreamt of.

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