OCU explains why beggars are driven away from St. Michael’s Cathedral
St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral. Photo: thisisbossi, Flickr
Ruslan Usmedinsky, a 26-year-old cleric of the OCU, said in an interview on the stand-up comedian Dmytro Tiutiun’s show A Not-So-Serious Conversation that beggars who usually gather near St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv are driven away. According to him, this is because the monastery is a major tourist site that many visitors come to with dollars and euros.
Usmedinsky remarked ironically that these “poor unfortunate people” often earn more in a day than some Ukrainians do in a month. The OCU representative emphasized that they are “simply dispersed,” since their presence in such places is considered undesirable. At the same time, he did not specify how many foreign tourists have actually visited St. Michael’s in recent years while the war in Ukraine continues.
According to him, when they are offered help with food or assistance in finding work through certain “connections,” the beggars allegedly refuse. “They need nothing except money. Goodbye,” Usmedinsky concluded.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the OCU had “allowed” parishioners to use a priest’s cassock for sexual role-playing.
Read also
OCU explains why beggars are driven away from St. Michael’s Cathedral
A cleric of Dumenko’s structure admitted that beggars are not tolerated at the OCU’s main monastery because of their “high incomes” and the desire not to damage the site’s image before foreign tourists.
UOC Chancellor: Venerable Anthony founded a monastery, not a reserve
Metropolitan Anthony said that the attempt to turn the Lavra into a state preserve is, in essence, an attempt to lock living Orthodoxy behind a door.
Dumenko discusses countering hostile influence in spiritual life with PO head
The heads of the OCU and the Presidential Office touched on state-church relations and “spiritual security” in wartime.
Albanian Primate speaks about ways to resolve OCU problem
Archbishop John is convinced: disagreements between Moscow and Constantinople can only be overcome through love and dialogue, but not through choosing "sides".
National Memory Institute and SBU open exhibition on UGCC liquidation
An exhibition on the repression of the Uniates has opened in the capital, while state officials search for historical parallels with the present day.
OCU "priest" “allows” parishioners to use priest’s cassock for sex games
Ruslan Usmedinsky said that using a priest’s cassock as a prop for role-playing games can strengthen relationships between couples.