Lugansk Diocese suspends commemoration of Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev

Lugansk, June 10, 2022

Photo: eparhia.site Photo: eparhia.site     

The Lugansk Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is now the second to suspend commemoration of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine during the Divine services.

The Rovenky Diocese, also in the territory claimed by the Lugansk People’s Republic, made the same decision earlier on May 31.

An extraordinary meeting of the Lugansk Diocesan Council was held today under the chairmanship of His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon of Lugansk, at which the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church held in Kiev on May 27 was discussed.

The Council decided to “suspend commemoration of the name of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine during the Divine services in all churches and monasteries of the Lugansk Diocese, because of our disagreement with the changes made to the Statutes on the administration of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on May 27, 20022,” reports the diocesan press service.

The UOC Council resolved to remove all mention of any connection with the Russian Orthodox Church from its Statutes, including the requirement to commemorate the Patriarch of Moscow in the Divine services. However, with the blessing of Met. Onuphry, several dioceses in Crimea and the territories claimed by the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics earlier announced that they will continue to commemorate the Patriarch.

However, on Tuesday, June 7, the three dioceses in Crimea were received directly into the Russian Orthodox Church by decision of the Russian Holy Synod.

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6/10/2022

See also
Crimean dioceses received directly into Russian Orthodox Church Crimean dioceses received directly into Russian Orthodox Church Crimean dioceses received directly into Russian Orthodox Church Crimean dioceses received directly into Russian Orthodox Church
The Synod also resolved to create a new Crimean Metropolia, headed by Met. Lazar of Simferopol. Metropolitan of Lvov: “We are completely outside the Russian Orthodox Church” Metropolitan of Lvov: “We are completely outside the Russian Orthodox Church” Metropolitan of Lvov: “We are completely outside the Russian Orthodox Church” Metropolitan of Lvov: “We are completely outside the Russian Orthodox Church”
Based on the changes to the Statutes, “it’s possible to say that these are really two separate Local Churches,” Met. Philaret affirms. But at the same time, “Autocephaly is a process—the process of recognizing a Local or independent Church.” Met. Luke of Zaporozhye calls all to peace, fidelity to Church and Metropolitan Onuphry Met. Luke of Zaporozhye calls all to peace, fidelity to Church and Metropolitan Onuphry Met. Luke of Zaporozhye calls all to peace, fidelity to Church and Metropolitan Onuphry Met. Luke of Zaporozhye calls all to peace, fidelity to Church and Metropolitan Onuphry
Against the background of the fratricidal war in Ukraine and the upheavals and major changes in Church life there, the most important thing is to maintain peace and fidelity to the Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Luke of Zaporozhye exhorts. Metropolitan Onuphry no longer commemorated in Rovenky Diocese in Lugansk Metropolitan Onuphry no longer commemorated in Rovenky Diocese in Lugansk Metropolitan Onuphry no longer commemorated in Rovenky Diocese in Lugansk Metropolitan Onuphry no longer commemorated in Rovenky Diocese in Lugansk
The clergy there will continue to commemorate His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia but will not commemorate His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. Met. Onuphry changes how he commemorates—reads diptychs of Orthodox primates (+VIDEO) Met. Onuphry changes how he commemorates—reads diptychs of Orthodox primates (+VIDEO) Met. Onuphry changes how he commemorates—reads diptychs of Orthodox primates (+VIDEO) Met. Onuphry changes how he commemorates—reads diptychs of Orthodox primates (+VIDEO)
Met. Onuphry didn’t commemorate His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia as the hierarch over him, but rather read the diptychs of primates according to the practice of the primates of the autocephalous Local Churches. Ivano-Frankivsk authorities demand that Ukrainian Church be banned throughout the country Ivano-Frankivsk authorities demand that Ukrainian Church be banned throughout the country Ivano-Frankivsk authorities demand that Ukrainian Church be banned throughout the country Ivano-Frankivsk authorities demand that Ukrainian Church be banned throughout the country
The demand comes a week after the clergy and parishioners of the Ivano-Frankivsk Diocese made their own appeal to the President to protect their Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, the only church not closed by authorities in the western Ivano-Frankivsk Province, home to 1,368,000 people.
Comments
Ioann6/16/2022 2:38 am
Andrew: On March 2, 2022 Patriarch Kirill wrote in 'Resolution of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the Report of Metropolitan Evlogy of Sumy and Akhtyrka': "The termination of the commemoration of the Primate of the Church, not because of doctrinal or canonical errors, or delusions, but because of inconsistency with one or another political views and preferences, is a schism for which everyone who commits it will answer before God and not only in the future century, but also in the present."
anonymous6/14/2022 4:33 pm
Praise be unto God! Without the Moscow Patriarchate, the UOC is no better than the OCU.
Andrew6/14/2022 3:27 am
In reply to Ioann: No, Lugansk and Roveny are not in schism from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. To clarify, schism means a break in communion. In other words, someone is in schism from the UOC if they would deny communion to Metropolitan Onuphry in their churches. Deciding to stop commemorating him is not the same thing as breaking communion with him. Stopping commemoration is an act of very strong protest, it's a way of saying "we strongly oppose what you are doing", but without going as far as schism.
Ivan6/11/2022 3:44 pm
In his last words, elder Zosima(Sokur) instructed his monks that if the UOC separates from the ROC and proclaims autocephaly, they should stay with the ROC.
Dionysius Redington6/10/2022 10:07 pm
Recently, the Russian Synod quoted Canon 15 of the 861 (non-Oecumenical) Constantinople council. But in this case, one could also quote the previous canon: 'Canon 14. If any Bishop, on the allegation that charges of crime lie against his own Metropolitan, shall secede or apostatize from him before a conciliar or synodal verdict has been issued against him, and shall abstain from communion with him, and fail to mention his name, in accordance with consuetude, in the course of the divine mystagogy (i.e., liturgical celebration of the Eucharistic mystery), the holy Council has decreed that he shall be deposed from office, if merely by seceding from his own Metropolitan he shall create a schism. For everyone ought to know his own bounds, and neither ought a presbyter treat his own bishop scornfully or contemptuously, nor ought a bishop to treat his own Metropolitan so.' Of course, if they consider Met. Onuphrius a heretic, that would be different, per Canon 16. Is he a heretic? --Dionysius Redington
Ioann6/10/2022 9:00 pm
Does this mean that Lugansk and Roveny are in schism from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church?
Alexei Dixon6/10/2022 6:41 pm
What an idiotic decision. May God forgive them.
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