Dumenko: I could have come to Athos as OCU head, but came as a humble monk

At the Skete of Prophet Elijah, the mantle is carried for Dumenko as for an ordinary pilgrim. Photo: OCU

Head of the OCU Serhii (Epifaniy) Dumenko, speaking at the Xenophontos Monastery on Mount Athos, assured that he came to the Holy Mountain as a humble pilgrim, not as the "head of a local church".

"Although I am a bishop of the Orthodox Church, canonically elected by the Council of the Church of Ukraine as the Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine and the Primate of the autocephalous OCU, I consciously arrived at the Holy Mountain as a pilgrim and monk. For all of us, Orthodox Christians, are pilgrims in this world, who walk the path of life from the earth to come to the Heavenly Kingdom. And every bishop, even when he is the Primate of a large Church, still remains a monk who has taken vows of humility and obedience to the Church," philosophically concluded Serhii Dumenko.

During his stay on Mount Athos, Dumenko visited the monasteries of New Esphigmen, Iviron, Pantokrator, Stavronikita, Simonopetra, and Xenophontos. Everywhere, he presented himself as the head of the OCU, and in some cases, he even “served” at the monastery services.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that, according to Greek media, Dumenko's visit sparks tension on the Holy Mountain.

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