Ukrainian Monastery with Athonite typikon joins schismatics in Lvov

Lvov, Ukraine, March 21, 2022

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For the first time since Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople created the so-called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” together with the Ukrainian and American governments in late 2018, a monastery of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church has joined the schismatic OCU.

About 100-150 parishes have voluntarily joined the OCU, and many others have been violently seized or forced into schism by the falsification of official documents, but until this weekend, no monasteries had abandoned the Orthodox Church.

Yesterday, the abbot of the Holy Resurrection-New Athos Monastery in Lvov announced the transfer of the entire monastery to the schismatics.

The transfer was confirmed to the Spiritual Greatness of Lvov website by Makary Maletich, the schismatic “Metropolitan” of Lvov who ruled the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church before it joined the new OCU. The monastery’s listing has already been removed from the canonical Lvov Diocese’s website.

“We must strengthen Ukraine on all fronts: military, economic, and spiritual,” Makary said, calling others to join the OCU.

Video has circulated online in which the abbot Fr. Job Olshansky explains the move. Fr. Job was also the head of the canonical diocese’s Information-Education and Youth Departments. He was previously a monk of Vatopedi Monastery on Mt. Athos, and his New Athos Monastery follows the Athonite typikon.

After talking to many other priests, Fr. Job was prepared to take one of three steps, he explains: to join Constantinople’s Exarchate in Ukraine, to join the OCU, or to give up the priesthood. After learning that Constantinople doesn’t intend to expand its structure and after the people asked him not to leave the priesthood, he “realized there’s no reason to delay any longer.”

“All the same, there will be one local Orthodox Church in Ukraine. And our procrastination makes us collaborators of Russia. I want you and me to be Orthodox Christians who praise God, love their state, and pray for it,” Fr. Job said.

The priest, who was ordained after the so-called “unification council” in 2018, claims that he was intimidated and blackmailed for wanting to leave the canonical Church. He also says he doesn’t understand why other Ukrainian clergy aren’t willing to say that calling Patriarch Bartholomew and the OCU schismatic is hypocrisy.

His Eminence Metropolitan Philaret, the canonical hierarch of Lvov, is among those who has ceased commemorating His Holiness Patriarch Kirill in the Divine services.

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3/21/2022

See also
Ukrainian hierarch comments on talk of Constantinople’s continued interference in Church life Ukrainian hierarch comments on talk of Constantinople’s continued interference in Church life Ukrainian hierarch comments on talk of Constantinople’s continued interference in Church life Ukrainian hierarch comments on talk of Constantinople’s continued interference in Church life
His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherkassy and Kanev of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, associate professor of the Kiev Theological Academy, commented on the information that Constantinople is using the war in Ukraine as a pretext to further interfere in Church life there. A number of Ukrainian dioceses call for question of autocephaly to be raised A number of Ukrainian dioceses call for question of autocephaly to be raised A number of Ukrainian dioceses call for question of autocephaly to be raised A number of Ukrainian dioceses call for question of autocephaly to be raised
Recall that especially in western Ukrainian dioceses, where the OCU and Uniate churches are more numerous than the UOC and Ukrainian nationalism is stronger and more violent, clergy are under great pressure to separate themselves from the Moscow Patriarchate. Between Constantinople and Russia Between Constantinople and Russia
Metropolitan Isaac of Germany and Central Europe Between Constantinople and Russia Between Constantinople and Russia
Metropolitan Isaac of Germany and Central Europe
As a hierarch who lives in a concise Orthodox part of the so-called Orthodox World, that is in Europe, I would like to express my opinion on this crisis which is growing daily and affecting our existence and continuance.
Comments
Nikolai4/30/2022 7:01 pm
Thank you once again Michael for your Holy Prayers. 'Unsolicited" is a powerful word Michael - one needs to take heed when using it.
Michael3/22/2022 6:53 am
I see the defenders of the our faith all, have arrived to share there unsolicited opinions that have no facts to back them! Has anyone tried to athema anyone yet, because they think they have the power to do so?
Fei-yu(Mainland China)3/21/2022 7:34 pm
The age of rampant crime.
Nikoai3/21/2022 7:13 pm
Abbot Job needs to be encouraged to not only read but take to heart and contemplate "The Life of St. Job of Pochaev" and "The Life of the Holy, Righteous Long-Suffering Job". He needs to follow the example of his ruling bishop, Metropolitan of Lvov Philaret, who often would journey to Holy Mt. Athos for spiritual support and counsel. Abbot Job had very noble goals and lofty ideals. He alone, by himself without a Brotherhood, attempted to follow the Athonite Rule in a very complex land, the historical land of Galicia. Since the 14th Century, Galicia has been under foreign Feudal Polish, Imperialistic Austrian, Militaristic Polish, Atheistic Soviet and most recently unhealthy nationalistic domination. Despite this tumultuous history, Orthodox Galicia has produced or was supported by Saints, Elders and many Righteous. St. Peter Metropolitan of Kiev and First Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Peter Mogila, St. Job of Pochaev, Sts. Job and Theodosius of Maniava, St. Maksim Sandovich, to name but a few, and many others, have struggled and prayed for this much-suffering part of Holy Rus'. Hopefully Abbot Job will travel to Holy Mt. Athos or to the Pochaev Lavra for counsel and spiritual support. He is young, both chronologically and spiritually, and needs spiritual guidance and prayers as the rest of us sinners do.
Jesse Dominick3/21/2022 5:41 pm
Joseph, that's what the abbot said in his explanation - whether or not it corresponds to reality remains a question.
Alex3/21/2022 5:13 pm
Joseph Lipper, with Constantinople, it's all smoke and mirrors.
Theodoros3/21/2022 4:46 pm
I get the anger with Russia but how does any of this make the OCU any more canonical now than it was before the war?
Joseph Lipper3/21/2022 3:58 pm
It's very interesting to read here that Constantinople doesn't intend to expand its Exarchate in Ukraine. Reports from UOJ indicate that Archimandrite Cyril Hovorun has suggested otherwise.
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