UOC believers urged to unite around Metropolitan Onufry

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine

Believers and clerics of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church should unite around His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry, said Secretary for Inter-Orthodox Affairs of the Department for External Church Relations Protopriest Igor Yakimchuk to Interfax-Religion on September 13. 

In his view, the Primate of the UOC has high spiritual authority in the Orthodox world.  

"The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is headed by a wonderful person, who has high spiritual authority in the Orthodox world. Today they need to unite around him, around clerics and bishops: if consolidation of Orthodox people is evident, there is a chance to withstand the strains. The power of Orthodoxy is in unity," said the priest of the ROC.

Last week, the head of the Jerusalem Church, Theophilos III, met with the delegation of the UOC and urged the believers of Ukraine "to stand by their Primate". He said that the Church of Jerusalem prays for their brother-in-Christ Metropolitan Onufry and the long-suffering people of Ukraine.

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