UOC is heard: "Blessing of Ukraine" at St. Sophia’s without Phanar head

Primate of the UOC at an official event in St. Sophia of Kyiv, 08.24.21. Photo: facebook.com/MitropolitAntoniy

On August 24, 2021, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine took part in the traditional event "Blessing of Ukraine", which is annually held on the territory of the St. Sophia of Kyiv on Independence Day.

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople did not attend the celebration, as the UOC Chancellor Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Boryspil and Brovary, who accompanied the Primate at the event, reported on his Facebook page.

“This was the position and condition of our Church, which I spoke about earlier in the previous comments, viz. that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will not participate in the event in the St. Sophia of Kyiv if Patriarch Bartholomew is there. We brought this position to the attention of both the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which organized this event, and the state.

We are grateful that we were heard. Guests come and go, while we live here. I wish we could live in inner peace and mutual understanding,” stressed the hierarch of the UOC.

Earlier, Metropolitan Anthony explained the position of the Church regarding events with the participation of delegations of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

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