Some faithful and clergymen of the UOC (MP) accused their leadership of destroying the Church to please Moscow
The community of the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) and the priests, deans and secretaries of a number of dioceses were outraged over theactions of their church hierarchy in theParliament hall during the reading of the names of Heroes of Ukraine.
The message signed by the core group of the Public Movement “For the Unified Local Orthodox Church” emphasizes that the UOC (MP) is losing parishioners today because of the “blasphemous position of the Church leadership.”The document states that the lists of lost parishes may be complemented by hundreds and the current leadership of the UOC (MP) is fully responsible for this process.
Text of the message:
Primate and Chief of Administration of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Moscow Patriarchate
His Beatitude Onufriy
Metropolitan Anthony Pakanych
Your Beatitude and Your Eminence!
We are writing to you as a community of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate at the request of the clergy, priests, deans and secretaries of a number of dioceses to express our outrage over the hierarchy’s recent actions in the session hall of the Parliament and the way you have explained their actions to the community. Not only the patriotically-spirited congregation, but the priests of moderate views believe as well that your behavior is destroying the church from inside.
For the first time in many years, the Easter Vigil has not been served in the square at the Cathedral of the Dormition and,to our deep conviction, this service has been abolished so that people could not notice how much the number of parishioners has decreased. Parishes are losing people because of the blasphemous position of the church leadership.
It is because of you that the heads of information departments of the dioceses and parishes simply do not know how to explain the behavior of church leadership to the flock, looking into the eyes of the mothers of deceased children.
Even the priests of moderate viewsdo not understand why it isin Kyiv that you are protesting against war, and not in the aggressor capital Moscow, which you often visit. You crossed the Rubicon; you are destroying the Ukrainian Church.
This is the letter of warning and request, an expression of our desire to stop the destruction of the Church in favor of political ambitions of the aggressor country. Hundreds of parishes will join those who left and thousands have already done so. You must realize that you are responsible for the developing processes.
