"Christ was also left": Simeon explains why his diocese stayed with UOC

Simeon (Shostatsky). Photo: Facebook of the Vinnytsia-Bar Eparchy of the OCU

"Metropolitan" of the OCU Simeon (Shostatsky) compared most of the priests of the Vinnytsia diocese of the UOC, who had refused to follow him to the schism in 2018, with the disciples who left Jesus Christ.

"Even Filaret (Denisenko – Ed.) asked, ‘Why did he come with a handful? Where are his priests?’ These priests then wrote that I was a good bishop, a good administrator, an economic man, a good minister of the church, but at the same time – that 'I backslid into schism'," Shostatsky told the RISU correspondent. “But there is nothing to be surprised about. Remember the Gospel: when Christ spoke of His future suffering – a lot of people who had followed and listened to Him before left Him. And so it was the same story here."

Simeon is offended by the priests of the Vinnytsia diocese of the UOC and believes that they did not follow him only because only two bishops left for the OCU.

"There were people who came and talked to me today but backed away tomorrow. Even those closest to me said that I 'backslid into schism...' If more bishops from the MP had passed to the OCU, then perhaps more priests from the MP would have followed their hierarchs," the former metropolitan of the UOC believes.

As the UOJ reported, OCU "metropolitan" Simeon Shostatsky of Vinnytsia and Bar compared granting of the Tomos to the OCU to marriage.

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