Metropolitan Theodosiy: God always gives us a chance not to betray him

Metropolitan Theodosiy’s sermon at St. Onuphrius Monastery. Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video

On June 25, 2025, during his sermon on the feast of Venerable Onuphrius the Great, Metropolitan Theodosiy of Cherkasy and Kaniv addressed the topic of church persecution and spiritual steadfastness in faith.

In his sermon, Metropolitan Theodosiy emphasized that for modern Christians, the path of spiritual struggle looks different than it did in ancient times –  it is a constant effort to rise after falling, to turn to God, and to overcome one’s own weakness.

The hierarch reminded the faithful that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is being persecuted: churches are being taken away, believers are pressured at work, and children are mocked at school for belonging to the UOC. According to the bishop, such persecutions are not new – they have happened in different eras, and Christians have always had to learn to endure them with patience and faithfulness.

Metropolitan Theodosiy explained in his sermon that believers have two paths: to bear sorrow or to try to escape it at any cost.

“There are those who bear sorrow, and there are those who try to get rid of it. But whoever seeks relief by unlawful means – through drunkenness, apostasy, sin – loses their crown,” said Metropolitan Theodosiy.

He reminded the faithful that God gives the possibility to remain faithful even in the most difficult circumstances, and that if a person cannot defend the Church openly, they must at least not betray it – to confess the faith silently, to pray, to attend services while it is still possible, or to gather in homes as Christians did in ancient times.

The bishop said in his sermon: “God always gives us the possibility not to betray Him. Some confess aloud, others in silence, some by leaving, some by suffering. But if we stay true to Him – we will remain in the Church, and the Lord will give us strength.”

The central theme of his address was the image of “a pinch of incense on Baal’s altar” as a symbol of compromise and spiritual betrayal.

The metropolitan reminded listeners that in the early centuries, Christians were not necessarily asked to renounce Christ outright but simply to perform a symbolic act of loyalty – to throw a bit of incense in honor of a pagan god, or at least pretend to do so. In the same way today, he noted, similar offers are made to the UOC: “If you don’t want to unite with the OCU – fine, but declare autocephaly, violate the canons, and no one will bother you. That is the very same pinch of incense.”

In conclusion, Metropolitan Theodosiy expressed confidence in the faithfulness of believers: “With God’s help, as much as He gives us strength, each according to our ability – we will not betray God, our faith, or the traditions of the thousand-year-old Church. We will remain in the Church.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that another court hearing in the case of Metropolitan Theodosiy was held in Cherkasy.

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