OCU “metropolitan” refuses to pray with Dumenko on “Statehood Day”
Metropolitan Mykhailo Zinkevych of Lutsk and Volyn (center) with representatives of the UGCC and RCC at a prayer service. Photo: Rascolam.net
On July 15, Metropolitan Mykhailo Zinkevych of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), serving in Lutsk and Volyn, held a joint prayer service with representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) in Lutsk. At the same time, official OCU celebrations for Ukraine’s “Statehood Day” were taking place at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, led by Epiphanius Dumenko, according to Rascolam.net.
Zinkevych’s service was held among the ruins of an ancient church dedicated to the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian in the center of Lutsk. The prayer event included participants from various Christian denominations, including Greek Catholics and Roman Catholics.
The day before, on July 14, Zinkevych had attended a general church assembly of OCU clergy in Kyiv. Therefore, his absence from the central ceremony does not violate any formal ecclesiastical rules. However, his decision to hold an alternative service precisely on the day of the official celebration is notable given the current complex intra-church dynamics.
As previously reported by the UOJ, Greek media have criticized the OCU for holding joint liturgical events with the UGCC.
Read also
In Radivilov, believers of the UOC held a traditional procession for peace
A prayer procession was accompanied by icons with relics of great Orthodox saints.
In Baltimore, hundreds of people gathered at a satanic event
More than 23,000 people have signed a petition against holding a satanic gathering in Baltimore.
In Germany, a Bishop of Constantinople Prayed with Catholics and Lutherans
The ecumenical concelebration concluded with the distribution of safety carabiners to all those present as a symbol of support and trust.
Foreign Christians Repented in the Knesset for Weak Assistance to Israel
Foreign Christians' repentance in the Israeli parliament has been criticized on social media.
HUR: Opinion polls prove religious rights are not violated in Ukraine
A representative of the intelligence service, Andrii Yusov, stated that society does not confirm any facts of religious persecution in the country.
Mass production of kosher bread launched in Bukovyna
Representatives of the Jewish community called the mass production of kosher bread at the regional level one of the few examples in Ukraine.