OCU "hierarch" urges UOC believers to join his structure after DESS conclusion

Ilarion Protsyk made another manipulative appeal to the UOC faithful. Photo: Ilarion Protsyk's Facebook

OCU "Metropolitan" Ilarion of the OCU stated that he supports the conclusions of DESS regarding the Kyiv Metropolis of the UOC and urged the clergy and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Rivne region to unite around Dumenko's structure. He wrote about this on his Facebook page on July 10, 2025.

The "hierarch" began his address with manipulation, implying that supposedly the UOC they do not pray for Ukraine: "We warned that silence in the temple, where prayers for Ukraine should be heard, is not spiritual neutrality but hidden support for the aggressor."

According to him, in his structure, they "do not call for hostility" but merely "for honesty" and "for unity around the Local Orthodox Church of Ukraine", which, he claims, is the only one that "prays for Ukraine".

"The time has come for spiritual purification and a sober choice. I appeal to all priests and laity who still remain under the subordination of structures affiliated with Moscow: come to your senses!" Ilarion stated.

He further noted that he does not divide people into "friends" and "foes" but is open "to dialogue, reconciliation, and unification." At the same time, he remarked that he can no longer "turn a blind eye to the facts that testify to the direct danger to the spiritual, cultural, and national future of Ukraine."

In conclusion, the "metropolitan" emphasized that he needs unity more than ever, which "becomes a shield against lies".

Earlier, the UOJ analyzed the address of the OCU "metropolitan" Ilarion on May 27, 2025, to the UOC believers through the lens of manipulative techniques.

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