Kiev, December 10, 2025
Photo: uoc-news.church
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrated the 35th anniversary of the episcopal consecration of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine yesterday.
A festive Divine Liturgy was held at the Panteleimon Convent in the Theophania area of Kiev, where the primate was consecrated as Bishop of Chernivtsi and Bukovina on December 9, 1990, reports the Information-Education Department of the UOC.
Met. Onuphry led the Divine Liturgy at the convent’s cathedral, joined by fellow hierarchs.
The abbesses of monastic communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church prayed at the service. The choir of the Kiev Theological Academy and Seminary chanted the service under the direction of Archimandrite Leonty (Tupkalo).
During the Liturgy, prayers were offered for peace in Ukraine and for all those who suffer.
After the dismissal, His Eminence Metropolitan Theodore of Kamianets-Podilsky, head the UOC’s Department for External Church Relations, delivered congratulatory remarks on behalf of the Holy Synod. In their address, the hierarchs emphasized the high spiritual responsibility of archpastoral ministry, noting that “a pastor is entrusted with the most precious thing—human souls,” and that episcopal service is only possible through the power of God’s grace.
The bishops testified that over three and a half decades, Metropolitan Onuphry has “carried the episcopal cross with dignity and wisdom,” combining zeal, attentiveness to each person, and faithfulness to the truth of Christ. They noted that in these difficult times, the primate demonstrates that “true strength is manifested not in external might, but in humble prayer, patience, and peace of spirit.” The hierarchs emphasized that His Beatitude’s words “always console,” and his firmness and prayer strengthen the clergy and faithful.
The members of the Holy Synod wished His Beatitude robust health, spiritual strength, and inexhaustible joy in Christ, calling upon God’s help for his continued archpastoral ministry for the benefit of the Holy Church.
In his response, Met. Onuphry thanked the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful for their support in his ministry. Speaking about his archpastoral journey, he drew attention to the inseparable unity of all members of the Church: “The Church is not only bishops. It is both bishops and priests and deacons and laity. The Church is the Body of Christ, in which each person is a cell of this body.”
The archpastor emphasized that the spiritual life of the Church is built on mutual love and compassion. He thanked all who have accompanied him in ministry with prayer and support: “I thank you for helping and continuing to help me in this episcopal ministry, and I ask that you continue to remember me in your holy prayers.”
Photo: uoc-news.church
Representatives of the monastics and all the faithful who prayed at the service then congratulated Met. Onuphry.
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