Kiev, July 27, 2017
Photo: news.church.ua Today, on the eve of the feast of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir and the Day of the Baptism of Rus’, and the occasion of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the historical Kharkov Council of Bishops, the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry led the festive moleben at the monument to the Baptizer of Rus’ at Vladimir Hill in Kiev, reports the Information-Enlightenment Department of the UOC.
Together with His Beatitude, bishops and clergy from all dioceses of the UOC, and tens of thousands of Orthodox believers from all over Ukraine, as well as pilgrims from Belarus, Moldova, Romanian, and other countries, prayed in the service. Afterwards, His Beatitude addressed the flock with a greeting and parting word.
Before the service on Vladimir Hill, a media briefing was held at which the primate noted that the Day of the Baptism of Rus’ is a national holiday and that the UOC traditionally spends it in prayer and procession. He also noted that this year’s procession will be accompanied by 11 miraculous icons, 6 of which have been revealed since the 1992 Bishops’ Council. “The phenomenon of these icons confirms the validity of our choice that we made at the Kharkov Bishops’ Council,” Met. Onuphry said.
At the May 27-28, 1992 Kharkov Council, the bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church displaced then-Metropolitan Philaret (who now heads the schismatic Kiev Patriarchate) as primate, and elected Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan), who led the Church for 22 years, under whom the number of monasteries in Ukraine increased from 32 to 228, and the number of theological schools from 4 to 17.
Photo: news.church.ua The tens of thousands gathered began the procession from Vladimir Hill headed for the Kiev Caves Lavra, following the celebration of the moleben on the hill. The procession is being led by Met. Onuphry along with the other bishops and clergy present, accompanied by the miraculous icons.
The large procession is moving along the central streets of Kiev. All those who perished during the tragic Maidan events of February 2014 will be commemorated with a litany at the memorial cross on Grushevskogo Street. The procession will end at the Kiev Caves Lavra where the All-Night Vigil in honor of the Baptizer of Rus’ St. Vladimir will be celebrated. The miraculous icons will be available for veneration in the refectory church of Sts. Anthony and Theodosius in the Kiev Caves Lavra.
