OCU cleric spreads false story UOC clergy would not bury fallen AFU soldier
Funeral service for a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Ascension Church of the village of Banyliv-Pidhirnyi. Photo: "Faithful of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Diocese of the UOC"
Bukovynian OCU cleric Roman Hryshchuk claimed on Facebook that the rector of the UOC Ascension Church in the village of Banilov-Pidhirnyi refused to serve the funeral rite for the fallen soldier Valentyn Faliboha. Hryshchuk’s lie was widely circulated by Ukrainian media.
According to the OCU cleric, “the priests of the Moskovian Patriarchate did not allow the soldier to be buried in the church of Banilov-Pidhirnyi, so the soldier had to be buried in the House of Culture.”
“OCU priests today once again opened their brotherly arms to you, offering a joint prayer! And you spat on it! And you also lied, claiming it was you who buried the soldier,” Hryshchuk said.
In reality, after the OCU clergy performed their rite in the House of Culture, the fallen soldier’s family wanted the funeral service to be held in the UOC church. As reported by the group “Faithful of the Chernivtsi–Bukovyna Eparchy of the UOC,” on December 30 the funeral rite was led by the dean of the Storozhynets district, Archpriest Vasyl Kovalchuk, in the church dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord, concelebrated by the rector of the church, Priest Yaroslav Kucheruk, and clergy of the eparchy.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that in the Romanian monastery of Putna, UOC clergy prayed for the repose of AFU soldiers.
Read also
World Council of Churches calls on USA, Israel and Iran to return to dialogue
The World Council of Churches issued a statement on the need to cease hostilities around Iran and restore diplomatic dialogue.
His Beatitude consecrates vehicles for evacuation of wounded soldiers
The Primate of the UOC consecrated five vehicles purchased with the funds collected by clerics and laypeople from Ukraine and Europe.
In Kyiv, TRC detains KDAiS teacher Archimandrite Raphael
Archimandrite Raphael, a teacher at the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary, was taken to the capital's TRC.
Monastic tonsure performed in Vinnytsia Eparchy
Metropolitan Varsonofiy performed the monastic tonsure of Deacon Serhiy Rachynsky.
Radicals to hold conference on theological justification for "Sacred War"
Korchynsky stated that he will substantiate at the forum in May what "Sacred War" is and refute the "heresy of pacifism".
UOC starts Easter charity drive to support children of displaced families
The UOC has launched a charity initiative: 2,000 Easter kulichi will be delivered to children from displaced families, to orphans and boarding-school pupils, and to families in front-line regions.