Fr. Vasily Balan about OCU: Betrayed and forgot their "spiritual father"

Filaret Denisenko and Epiphanius Dumenko. Photo: crimea.kp.ru

Archpriest Vasyl Balan, dean of the Murovani Kurylivtsi district of the Mohyliv-Podilskyi Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, shared his thoughts on the "Unification Council" of the schismatics, which divided the country, in his Facebook video message to the UOC faithful. The priest compared the behaviour of Sergei Dumenko and the OCU adherents to negligent children who disowned their parents immediately after those brought them up, gave them everything and helped them make their way in the world.

"They deceived and betrayed their 'spiritual father' who 'ordained' Epiphanius and other bishops – Filaret, the old man who led his so-called children to the top," Father Vasily said. “Who had known Epiphanius before? No one had heard of this man. How can you 'unite Ukraine' if you can't even unite among yourselves?"

According to the UOC priest, the "Unification Council” of the schismatics was only on paper, but in fact, it divided the entire country and Orthodoxy.

"Epiphanius constantly commemorates Russian Patriarch Kirill. And why don't you commemorate Filaret – your spiritual father, your mentor, who put you on your feet? You first unite among yourselves, and then call the council 'unification'," stressed Archpriest Vasily Balan.

The "Unification Council" took place on 15 December 2018. The Phanar initiated a meeting of two schismatic groups which chose the head, "Metropolitan" Epiphanius, who had been "ordained" by the defrocked and anathematised Filaret Denisenko and had never been canonically legitimately ordained.

As reported, Archpriest Vasyl Balan together with the UOC faithful defended the church in the village of Snytkiv, Vinnytsia region, from the raiders of the OCU.

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