UOC hierarch: Church raiders excommunicate themselves from the Church

Metropolitan Theodosy, head of the Cherkasy diocese of the UOC. Photo: screenshot of the video of the Cherkasy Blagovisnyk YouTube channel

The people who participated in the raider seizure of the Sretensky Church of the UOC in Cherkasy excommunicated themselves from the Orthodox Church. This was stated in a video message by Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherkasy and Kaniv.

"Each persecutor, each invader, will face retribution for their actions even in this life," said the hierarch. "Know that everyone who participated in this particular lawlessness – the raid on the Sretensky Monastery – everyone who gave orders, shouted into the microphone, put their signature, or broke locks, by their actions, has excommunicated themselves from the Holy Orthodox Church, and today, you are excommunicated from the Church."

The bishop noted that the temples of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are seized by "unbelieving people who do not understand the nature of the Church."

"They view the Church only as assets – real estate, cult buildings, land plots – and they see weak and strange people who, for some reason, seek heavenly rather than earthly things. They (the raiders) do not believe in God and see only the material in the Church, not understanding that it is just the setting. However, in the Church, there is the main Jewel, the Diamond – Christ, Divine grace. And they, barbarically attacking our temples, parishes, and monasteries, dig out and throw away this Diamond, not understanding or knowing Him, taking only the setting for themselves in their pockets, thinking it will enrich them," said the Metropolitan.

According to him, the adversaries of the Church do not realize that they are not fighting against people but against God.

"They do not understand that behind us, weak people, stands a powerful and omnipotent God. God, who acts fully only when we, as Church people, exhaust our human strength when we have spent all our resources and abilities to defend our temples, defend our faith, when we are exhausted under the weight of the cross. That is when our Lord and His saints come and start to act with His power. And the persecutors of the Church enter into enmity not with us but specifically with Him," the archpastor emphasized.

As the UOJ reported, on August 3, 2023, in Cherkasy, supporters of the OCU, backed by the security forces, seized the Candlemas Church (bishop's residence) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and expelled the rector with seven children from the parish house.

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