Kiev, March 19, 2021
Photo: news.church.ua
Mayor Vitaly Klitschko of Kiev has announced a three-week lockdown in Ukraine, beginning tomorrow, lasting until April 9, as decided by the Emergencies Commission of the Kiev City Council.
During this time, it is prohibited to hold religious services if the building cannot provide at least 10 square meters per person, and holding mass events, thus the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been forced to postpone the cross procession that it planned to hold in Kiev on the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine earlier blessed for cross processions to be held in every diocese this coming Sunday, as a way for the faithful to raise their voice against the persecutorial laws adopted by the previous Poroshenko government that remain in place.
Addressing the situation in Kiev, His Beatitude thanked all the vicar bishops, clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Kiev Diocese, “because we know with what spiritual enthusiasm and responsibility you were preparing for the procession that was to take place in Kiev.”
“Supporting the capital authorities in their efforts to improve the epidemic situation as soon as possible and offering a prayer to the Merciful God for this, we are moving the procession to another more favorable time,” the Ukrainian primate writes.
This development is to be received as a spiritual trial, His Beatitude writes. “Let us strengthen the fast, repent of our sins, and bring forth worthy fruits of repentance, so that the Lord may heal our bodily and spiritual infirmities,” he concludes.
The procession has also had to be postponed in a few other dioceses as well.
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