Ternopil, Ukraine, April 9, 2019
Photo: news.church.ua
On April 5, with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Joanikije of Budimlja and Nikšić, a cleric of the Serbian Orthodox Church delivered financial assistance to the faithful of the Ternopil Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church whose churches had been seized, reports the site of the Ukrainian Church.
For example, in February, schismatic activists flocked to the Church of the Holy Transfiguration Church in the village of Gnezdichno in the Ternopil Province, beating several canonical parishioners and the priest Fr. Stephen Balan.
The funds raised by parishioners of the cathedral in Nikšić, Montenegro were presented to His Eminence Metropolitan Sergei of Ternopil and Kremenets by the cathedral rector Archpriest Ostoya Knezhevic who was on pilgrimage to Ukraine. He also presented the Ukrainian hierarch with an icon of St. Basil of Ostrog that had been blessed on the saint’s relics from the brethren of the Ostrog monastery.
On the same day, Fr. Ostoya concelebrated with Metropolitan Sergei at Holy Trinity Monastery in Korets, and on the feast of the Annunciation he participated in the service at the Kiev Caves Lavra which was headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. The next day, he met with His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Bovary, the chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
While the clergy and faithful of the Ukrainian Church are at risk of losing their parish churches every day, and President Petro Poroshenko has told the members of the Church they should leave Ukraine, Montenegrin authorities are purposefully denying visas to 50 clergymen and monastics of the Serbian Orthodox Church who have been living and serving in Montenegro for years.
Serbian Orthodox faithful in Montenegro are currently keeping round-the-clock watch on a new baptistery that the authorities are trying to demolish.
Follow us on Facebook!
