Kiev, March 21, 2022
Photo: news.church.ua
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church held a procession and moleben to the Fathers of the Kiev Caves and for peace in Ukraine on Sunday, led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine.
In addition to the Churchwide celebration of St. Gregory Palamas, the Synaxis of All Saints of the Kiev Caves is also celebrated on the second Sunday of Great Lent in the Ukrainian Church. The Divine Liturgy for the feast was presided over by Met. Onuphry, with the concelebration of a number of Ukrainian hierarchs and clergy, reports the Information-Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
During the Liturgy, special petitions were offered “for deliverance from the enemy, for the establishment of peace, for forced refugees, and people of good will helping those in need.”
His Beatitude also prayed for the Ukrainian people, for the preservation of the Ukrainian homeland, for the Lord to strengthen its soldiers with courage and peace, and for the repose of the souls of those who have died on the battlefield.
Following the Liturgy, Met. Onuphry led the clergy and faithful in a procession to the monastery’s Far Caves, where they served a moleben to the Fathers of the Kiev Caves and for the cessation of the war in Ukraine and the sovereignty and integrity of the Ukrainian state.
Such a prayer was also offered in all churches and monasteries of the UOC following the Liturgy yesterday.
Following the moleben, the Ukrainian primate addressed the people with a word in which he expressed hope that the Ukrainian-Russian negotiations would prove successful and that the Lord would grant peace.
“It’s not easy, but this is already the first step, already a humane step, when people try to solve problems that arise between people with the help of a reasonable word. I hope that these negotiations will continue well, that they would reach intelligent, balanced decisions, and that love might overcome the anger that reigns over people,” His Beatitude said.
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