Epiphany urges Belarusians to seek their own Tomos from Phanar

Head of the OCU Epiphany. Photo: nv.ua

Epiphany Dumenko turned to the Belarusian people with a proposal to “ask the Mother Church for a tomos” and fight for their dignity. The corresponding appeal in two languages – Ukrainian and Belarusian – was published by the head of the OCU on his Facebook page on Thursday, August 13, 2020.

“It is on these days that the Belarusian people are particularly afflicted – our neighbors, with whom since the princely times we have had many centuries of common church and state history until 1686, constituting a single Kyiv Metropolitanate,” wrote Dumenko. “Its non-canonical annexation by Moscow had and continues to have tragic consequences for Orthodoxy throughout Eastern Europe. By the will of the believing people and with the blessing of our common Mother Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Church has established itself among the autocephalous Sister Churches. The Orthodox Church of Belarus has the same case and the right to ask the Mother Church for a tomos whenever it is willing to.”

According to the head of the OCU, "regardless of jurisdictional issues, we, as Orthodox Christians, constitute a single Church of Christ."

“Therefore, we, as the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, cannot remain indifferent, not compassionate when the future of the Belarusian people, the independence of the state, the freedom and security of citizens, their lives are under threat. I would like to wish the Belarusian people, with God's help, to find their own response to the challenges of today, to protect their dignity and freedom, the democratic and independent future of their state,” he added.

Declaring that he joins the statements of “numerous states, international and civil institutions, which persistently call for an immediate end to violence, the release of thousands of innocent detainees and a constructive dialogue between the leadership of Belarus and civil society for a peaceful way out of the crisis,” Epiphany assured that the OCU is praying for the Belarusian people and for the victory of truth.

As the UOJ reported earlier, the “priest” of the OCU Georgy Kovalenko stated that the “Orthodox Church of Belarus” is a reality now.

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