Metropolitan Onuphry appeals for penitential prayer and an end to the “fratricidal war”

Kiev, February 24, 2022

news.church.ua news.church.ua     

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine has issued another appeal to the Ukrainian people and soldiers, and to Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling for increased prayer and an end to the “fratricidal war.”

His appeal reads in full:

Dear brothers and sisters! The faithful of our Ukrainian Orthodox Church!

As the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, I appeal to you and to all citizens of Ukraine. A disaster has occurred. Unfortunately, Russia has launched military actions against Ukraine, and at this fateful time I urge you not to panic, to be courageous, and to show love for your homeland and for each other. I call you, above all, to intensified penitential prayer for Ukraine, for our army, and our people, and I entreat you to lay aside mutual strife and misunderstandings and unite in love for God and our motherland.

At this tragic time, we express our fervent love and support to our soldiers standing guard and protecting and defending our land and our people. May God bless and keep them!

Defending the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine, we appeal to the President of Russia and ask him to immediately stop the fratricidal war. The Ukrainian and Russian peoples came out of the Dnieper Baptismal font, and the war between these peoples is a repetition of the sin of Cain, who killed his own brother out of envy. Such a war has no justification either from God or from people.

I call everyone to common sense, which teaches us to solve our earthly problems in mutual dialogue and mutual understanding, and I sincerely hope that God will forgive us our sins and that God’s peace will reign on our land and throughout the world!

His Beatitude made an earlier appeal on Tuesday for the prevention of war, as did the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches.

Appeals were also issued this morning from the Patriarchs of the Georgian and Romanian Patriarchates and the bishops of the Finnish Orthodox Church.

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2/24/2022

See also
Metropolitan Onuphry: War is a grave sin before God Metropolitan Onuphry: War is a grave sin before God Metropolitan Onuphry: War is a grave sin before God Metropolitan Onuphry: War is a grave sin before God
“I call upon the leaders of states and all who can prevent a new war. War is a grave sin before God!” Met. Onuphry emphasized. Ukrainian Orthodox Church considers Donbas and Lugansk part of Ukraine, says DECR rep Ukrainian Orthodox Church considers Donbas and Lugansk part of Ukraine, says DECR rep Ukrainian Orthodox Church considers Donbas and Lugansk part of Ukraine, says DECR rep Ukrainian Orthodox Church considers Donbas and Lugansk part of Ukraine, says DECR rep
The Church has a significant number of people on both sides of the contact line, and it refuses to divide people or make political assessments. Metropolitan Onuphry’s Pastoral Love for the Ukrainian People Metropolitan Onuphry’s Pastoral Love for the Ukrainian People
Jesse Dominick Metropolitan Onuphry’s Pastoral Love for the Ukrainian People Metropolitan Onuphry’s Pastoral Love for the Ukrainian People
Jesse Dominick
Undoubtedly, from a secular PR perspective, Met. Onuphry’s choice to remain seated was a nightmare, but he chose to represent a higher calling.
Comments
Davic4/9/2022 1:05 am
Disturbing That Patriarch Krill has blessed the invasion of Ukraine. He is no better than Putin. Nationalism and politics in the ROC! How insulting to me and the parish members of our ROC parish in America. Ukraine was never a democracy and the United States meddling was no help BUT invasion,and murder of innocent men, women, and children! Shame on all who turn their eyes away...this is NOT Christian Orthodoxy in any way shape or form.
sherlock_holmes2/25/2022 11:30 pm
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death : Proverbs 14:12...PS. This is Not about Russia or president Putin !
Steve2/25/2022 11:18 pm
Why does Metropolitan Onuphry appeal to the president of Russia to stop the war? Shouldn't Metropolitan Onuphry be asking the president of Ukraine to surrender to Russia?
Greg2/25/2022 9:26 pm
Amen. And Axios.
Alexander2/24/2022 8:52 pm
Johnny's comment is incorrect on many points. He seems to be relying on an unreliable source. [1] ROCOR in the UK *has* lost 50% of its clergy. Johnny needs to understand that, in the Orthodox Church, there are several ranks of clergy, and not all clerics are priests. [2] Johnny misses the point that, amongst the several parishes which have left, the Colchester parish by itself has significantly more parishioners than the remaining ROCOR parishes in the UK combined. Through losing these parishes, Bp Irenei has lost 50% of the faithful who were attending ROCOR parishes in the UK. [3] Johnny and his source don't seem to realize that the significant document regarding the move from the MP Archdiocese to the Romanian Mitropolia is the letter of release sent to the clergy from the Archdiocese, not decrees made later, after the clergy had already been released. Happily, the Patriarchate of Romania understands these matters far better than Johnny and his source! (It is possible that here Bp Irenei did not fully understand what transpired before he rushed to publish statements declaring that he had triumphed over the Archdiocese.) [4] It is strange to see Johnny suggest that the Romanian Patiarchate is "breaking communion" by receiving these clergy, canonically with letters of release. Is that also the position of his source? [5] Johnny is being untruthful when he claims that "the ties between ROCOR and the MP have never been stronger". As is well known, Bp Irenei, in his Directive 359/E of 23 January 2021, instituted a schism between ROCOR and the MP Archdiocese in the British Isles, by banning all concelebration, liturgical participation and any ecclesiastical contact between ROCOR and the Archdiocese. This schism continues almost 14 months later and is totally unresolved. Clearly this is a worse situation than the situation before "the Bp Irenei schism" started. [6] During the period mentioned by Johnny, Sourozh also did not concelebrate with ROCOR (although notably there was concelebration between Sourozh and the Archdiocese during this time, and clergy who had transferred from ROCOR continued to serve in Sourozh). Here too, what Johnny says differs from the facts. [7] The name-calling and bitterness which Johnny directs towards Fr Andrew Phillips only indicates the extent to which relations have broken down on the side of ROCOR. And when relations have broken down to this level, it is better for all concerned to establish new peaceful canonical relations, away from this world of recrimination. Were Bp Irenei more concerned with the peace of the Church than with being seen to triumph in a struggle, he would doubtless recognize this. Lastly, I don't know why Johnny chose to call me "Andrew"; if his insinuation is that I'm Fr Andrew Phillips then he very much mistaken! I am not Fr Andrew, and my name is not Andrew.
Mary Norbut2/24/2022 8:14 pm
Praying for peace and safety for all the peoples and country of Ukraine. May God’s will be done!!!
Basil Hill-Zeck2/24/2022 4:32 pm
Thank God for pious & wise hierarchs like Metropolitan Onufry! May God help him & all the suffering people in Ukraine...
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