UOC hierarch: the state wants to take the Church from us!

Bancheny, Chernivtsi Province, Ukraine, December 7, 2022

Photo: spzh.news Photo: spzh.news   

The Ukrainian state wants to take the Church away from the faithful, warns one of the most outspoken hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, but the faithful must focus on pray, love, and service.

On Sunday, December 4, the feast of the Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos Into the Temple, His Eminence Metropolitan Longin of Bancheny turned to the faithful with a heartfelt plea, calling on them not to pay attention to the actions of the authorities and security forces, but simply “to pray, love your neighbors, and serve the Lord.”

The Church has always been persecuted, he noted.

“I call you to prayer and to love. The prayer of Orthodox Ukraine will defeat the enemy visible and invisible. Don’t fight with people—that’s what the devil does. The confrontation between God and satan has been going on for many thousands of years, but Christ always wins,” the Metropolitan encouraged.

“They won’t kill all of us, because Ukraine is all Orthodox… Thank you to our state for wanting to take the most precious thing from us—the Church and the faith, but nothing will work out!... No one can defeat God and the Church of God,” His Eminence preached.

“We don’t abandon our Church, because God’ doesn’t abandon us,” he exclaimed. And only love and kindness can overcome evil, the hierarch reminded his flock.

He also called on the people to pray for His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, saying: “He’s a true spiritual father who prayers and worries for our Ukraine.”

Met. Longin’s Holy Ascension Monastery in western Ukraine has housed thousands of refugees since the war began, and it has already been caring for hundreds of orphans for years now. The monastery also operates a treatment-rehabilitation center and a medical center.

In his word on the recent feast, Met. Longin spoke of his love for Ukraine, and he has also strongly expressed his opposition to the war. In June, the monastery’s Instagram page published a video in which Met. Longin criticized Patriarch Kirill for his stance towards the war, which, Met. Longin says, is spilling blood and destroying churches and monasteries. “You’ve wounded us and brought us great pain,” he said.

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12/7/2022

See also
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Until yesterday, Elena Bogdan headed up the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience. Ukraine sanctions 9 bishops and a protodeacon Ukraine sanctions 9 bishops and a protodeacon Ukraine sanctions 9 bishops and a protodeacon Ukraine sanctions 9 bishops and a protodeacon
The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine imposed sanctions upon nine bishops of the Ukrainian and Russian Churches and one protodeacon last week for a period of five years. Metropolitan Onuphry appeals for penitential prayer and an end to the “fratricidal war” Metropolitan Onuphry appeals for penitential prayer and an end to the “fratricidal war” Metropolitan Onuphry appeals for penitential prayer and an end to the “fratricidal war” Metropolitan Onuphry appeals for penitential prayer and an end to the “fratricidal war”
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.
Comments
Editor12/10/2022 10:32 pm
Joseph Donelly: If you have been following this story, you would know that the Rada has been trying to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church since the non-canonical OCU was formed--even before that with the existence of the so-called Kiev Patriarchate under Philaret. Bills have been put before the Lavra to ban the OCU's use of its own name. Yes, it has gotten worse since the SMO. But everything was leading to that even without any war. Recall that attempts to take over the Kiev Caves Lavra and the Pochaev Lavra have been ongoing for years now. The Pochaev Lavra's attempted takeovers date back to the 1990's, when the Uniates' hands were untied.
Joseph Donnely12/10/2022 9:49 pm
The West is "causing Russia to engage in a costly war and successfully destroying his own Slavic, Orthodox peop." Sorry Editor, this is really sad. What, Russia has no say in the matter? Poor, poor Russia just HAD to send in troops and just HAS to launch rockets. Fact is, the problems for the UOC have escalated dramatically since Russia began its war.
Editor12/9/2022 10:06 am
Panagiotis: Thanks, for those who are looking, the link to Tucker Carlson's video: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-this-reality-about-ukraines-zelenskyy Thank God for him, he is probably the only voice on mainstream media that is exposing this madness. Since the whole objective of those forces promoting Zelensky is to weaken Russia and undermine Orthodoxy, it is not surprising that they are 100% behind Zelensky, who is both causing Russia to engage in a costly war and successfully destroying his own Slavic, Orthodox people. Of course Tucker doesn't cover the whole OCU phenomenon, but that's too complicated for his audience anyway. but here is another good observation that includes input by a real Ukrainian: https://thesaker.is/the-ukraine-is-committing-suicide-by-cop/ .
Panagiotis12/9/2022 3:08 am
Tucker Carlson of Fox News recently had an excellent commentary on this, and included video of Metropolitan Longin I believe in his commentary. The Tucker Carlson commentary can be found on YouTube, and I urge the editors of this website to consider linking to it. There are many people leaving comments on this YouTube video supporting what Tucker Carlson said about this nonsense against our Holy Orthodox Church. Tucker Carlson also speaks the truth about the dictatorial president of the Ukraine, and says things that many Americans and Westerners may have never heard before, since many in the Western news media are apparently once again not reporting the complete truth and are apparently supporting this clown masquerading as a president. Remember after the monster communists took over and began the persecution, or should I rather say the Genocide, of our Orthodox Church and our Orthodox People, the Western news media did not actively report this. I wonder why? I think a great Russian named Alexander Solzhenitsyn may have said why. The president of the Ukraine is allegedly not an Orthodox Christian, but the Ukraine is an Orthodox Christian Nation. Also he is allegedly not of ethnic Ukrainian descent, i.e. he is allegedly of Ashkenazi descent. Ethnic Ukrainians Are Slavic People. I hope and pray to Almighty God and the Panagia that ALL Orthodox Christians support and pray for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. I hope and pray that all Christians support the Orthodox People of the Ukraine. I hope and pray that all good people of faith, regardless of their faith or denomination, speak out for freedom of religion in Ukraine, and support the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Glory be to our God. Thoxa Si O Theos, Thoxa Si. Just my humble opinion.
bill cordasco12/8/2022 7:12 pm
The Orthodox church in Ukraine is in a vice: on the one hand it must speak against the current actual war, which is wrecking the nation, and on the other hand it cannot support Zelensky and his atheist/heterodox puppeteers ( The US’ Jeff Pyatt, Mike Pompeo, Anthony Blinken, Viktoria Nukand, et al). If ceasefire happened tomortow, the non-shooting war would continue, and the real Orthodox church would still lose. The west is an odd alliance of economic profiteers, lgbtq proponents, the military industrial complex, war mongers and dare I say western church opportunists. If one examines in detail the backgrounds of those feeding this war, their motivations will become clear. Also, where was anyone’s outrage when eastern Ukrainian Russian speakers were being attacked?
Alex12/8/2022 2:33 am
The devil and his minions will never be able to defeat Christ and His Holy Church!
James 12/7/2022 6:43 pm
Axios, axios, axios.
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