Sumy, Sumy Province, Ukraine, August 6, 2026
Met. Evlogy (L), Met. Grigory (R). Photo: portal-pravoslavie.sumy.ua
A hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church traveled to the Sumy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church this week to voice support for a Ukrainian Metropolitan facing an ongoing legal case, in a visit that underscored fraternal ties between the two Orthodox Churches.
His Eminence Metropolitan Grigory of Düsseldorf and All Germany of the Serbian Church visited His Eminence Metropolitan Evgency and the Sumy Diocese on August 4-5. During their meeting, Met. Grigory offered his prayerful support to Met. Evlogy over the legal proceedings and conveyed words of encouragement to the clergy and faithful of the diocese, who continue to face hardship amid the ongoing war, the Sumy Diocese reports.
Ukrainian authorities began investigating Met. Evlogy in February 2024 for publicly talking about how most Local Orthodox Churches support the UOC rather than the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
Photo: portal-pravoslavie.sumy.ua
Met. Grigory also visited the Transfiguration Cathedral and the Trinity Cathedral in Sumy, praying at both sites and learning more about the life of the diocese.
Met. Evlogy presented his guest with a copy of the Malocherneche Bread of Life Icon of Christ the Savior, along with an Episcopal Cross and Panagia, and awarded him the Metropolitan of Sumy commendation for his support of the diocese.
Met. Grigory, in turn, thanked his host for the welcome and wished the clergy and faithful of the diocese peace and strength in the faith.
The visit carried added weight given Met. Grigory’s own background. He spent many years leading the Diocese of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, which endured the aftermath of war in the Balkans, and was involved in rebuilding Church life and fostering dialogue in its wake.
The visit was also described as a sign of spiritual unity between the Serbian and Ukrainian Orthodox churches at a time when the UOC is under pressure, and as an affirmation of the UOC’s canonical standing within world Orthodoxy.
Follow OrthoChristian on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, and MeWe!