Tulchin, Ukraine, December 25, 2019
astrsobor.ru
The order for the reception into the canonical Church of those who were baptized in the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” or the schismatics “Kiev Patriarchate” was approved a clergy meeting of the Tulchin Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on December 20, reports the diocesan press service.
The meeting was chaired by His Eminence Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin and Bratslav, with the participation of His Grace Bishop Sergei of Ladizhin, vicar of the Tulchin Diocese.
Having received a graceless “baptism” in the schismatic groups, the repentant will be received into the canonical Church by public confession and a true, grace-filled Baptism and Chrismation, “introducing the former schismatics into the common royal priesthood of the faithful of the Church of Christ.”
The clergy of the Tulchin Diocese also unanimously supported the statement of the Ukrainian Holy Synod from December 6 that defended the decision to break communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople and those hierarchs who have entered into communion with the Ukrainian schismatics, explaining that such a stance is a defense of, not abuse of the holy Eucharist.
They also expressed complete solidarity with the position of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine against the schismatic OCU.
In October of last year, the diocesan clergy unanimously declared their loyalty to Christ in the canonical Church, vowing to protect their Church. “We, as faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and as citizens of Ukraine, will firmly defend our religious institutions, the canonical order of our Church, and our constitutional rights, and protect our churches and monasteries from illegal discriminatory encroachments upon them ‘from outside,’” the priests said, reaffirming their priestly oath the Cross and the Gospel.
