UOC Chancellor: Church issues must be resolved canonically and conciliarly

Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, appealed to the clergy not to succumb to emotions and provocations, but to resolve important church issues in a conciliar and canonical way. He said this in a video message on his YouTube channel.

Metropolitan Anthony recalled that the UOC stood firm when they tried to force it to follow a non-canonical path, for which the entire Orthodox world respects the Ukrainian clergy. “Holy fathers, we stood and defended our Church when we were forced to follow a non-canonical path. We are the canonical Church of Christ, the Church of confessors and sufferers, for which we are respected throughout the Orthodox world – we must keep this choice even in this difficult and terrible time,” said the Chancellor of the UOC.

He noted that emotions in solving important issues are not the best guide. And now, when explosions are thundering in Ukraine, we need to direct our forces to pastoral service and help hundreds and thousands of those in need. “Do not succumb to provocations – all ecclesiastical issues should be considered and resolved exclusively in a canonical way and with a conciliar mind. Moreover, all this should be done not under the roar of military explosions, but in the peace of Christ and prayer,” said Metropolitan Anthony.

The Chancellor of the UOC called on the clergy to remain faithful to the canonical Church and its Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

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