Mgar, Ukraine, May 21, 2021
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Not every Local Church can boast in its flock as can the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, believes His Eminence Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovech of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The Metropolitan shared his thoughts on monasticism, the spiritual life, the Ukrainian people, and the persecution faced by the canonical Ukrainian Church in an interview with the Poltava Diocese of the UOC during his recent visit to Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Mgar, Ukraine, for the feast of St. Athanasius of Constantinople, the Wonderworker of Lubensk.
His Eminence emphasized that he really liked the spirit of the people he met in the churches of the UOC. He was struck when he got up early to go for a walk before Liturgy and saw pilgrims already coming to the monastery.
“Who would come so early if he doesn’t have a true burning of soul, to come and pray at the feast?! You can feel it, you can see it in their expressions on their faces, in their eyes. Then everyone wanted to get a blessing,” His Eminence recalled.
In his view, there is a great sense of ecclesiality in the Ukrainian faithful of the UOC, regardless of the difficulties in the country.
“These are true Orthodox people. I think not every Church can boast of such a flock, such believers,” the Bulgarian hierarch commented, calling on the UOC clergy to protect their “God-seeking” flock.
And, according to Met. Gabriel, the sorrows and persecutions that the Lord allows the UOC to suffer are ultimately for the good of the Church, “even if we cannot yet fully understand their meaning.”
The persecution is evidence of the truth in the UOC, Met. Gabriel affirmed. “The Holy Fathers say if you want to know where the real Church is, look at the one being persecuted. So the Lord loves Ukraine.”
Furthermore, difficulties help people become firmer in their faith and show clearly which is the true Church and who are the true believers.
The hierarchs of the UOC are also being strengthened in their faith, Met. Gabriel commented, for which the Lord grants them grace.
“When I served in the Kiev Caves Lavra, there were many hierarchs, and I had the feeling I was among confessors who had gone through a very difficult time, especially when this schismatic church was proclaimed,” His Eminence reflected.
These hierarchs withstood the threats hurled at them by the Ukrainian state and the violent schismatics, and “For this the Lord gave them grace.”
And not only does God allow the UOC to suffer, but He sent them great help in the person of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine.
“I’ve known him since my time at Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra. The Lord granted you to choose a true ascetic in this most difficult time. That is, the Lord has allowed difficulties, but He also gave you the possibility to overcome them,” believes Met. Gabriel.
The hierarch of Lovech is one of the most vocal supporters of Orthodoxy in Ukraine against the anti-canonical actions of Patriarch Bartholomew. He was among the hierarchs who sent Paschal greetings to the persecuted UOC this year, and in January, he refuted the schismatic church’s false claim that the Bulgarian Church was preparing to recognize them.
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