Orthodox Church of Poland: Epiphany remains a layman

Meeting of the Synod of the Polish Church. Photo: pravda.com.ua

On December 17, 2020, the office of Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, in response to a request from the administration of the “Church Today” Telegram channel, reported that the Polish Orthodox Church considers Epiphany Dumenko a layman.

The Office of Metropolitan Sawa commented on the appeal of the hierarchs of the Polish Church on November 30, 2020, regarding the position on the OCU.

The Office explained that the Orthodox Church of Poland had sent a letter "to all the Primates of the Local Churches, including Metropolitan Onuphry, whom we highly value and pray for".

“The hierarchs of our Church in their appeal pay special attention to the modern division of Orthodoxy in terms of liturgical communion. Its termination is painful for believers, especially today when Satan is fighting the Holy Eucharist,” the letter says.

The Office of Metropolitan Sawa stressed that “the attitude of the Polish Church towards Ukraine does not change in anything. Evil remains evil, and such is a schism” and "the so-called ‘Metropolitan’ Epiphany remains a layman."

“In Orthodoxy, there are no two ecclesiologies – there is one that is binding to everyone. The comments that have appeared on the aforementioned appeal to a large extent indicate the loss of spiritual sensitivity of their authors, and this is the pain of the Orthodox Church of Poland,” the document says.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the Polish Church expressed concern about the division in Orthodoxy.

Read also

ROCOR Priest Reflects on Trip to Capitol Hill

Archpriest Victor Boldewskul participated in the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco's Day of Action to raise awareness about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Hundreds of Chinese Christians Arrested in Pre-Christmas Crackdown

Hundreds of Chinese Christians face spending Christmas in detention after authorities launched a sweeping pre-holiday crackdown on churches under Beijing’s campaign to control religious life.

Ukraine Adviser: UOC Not Banned, but Offered a 'Choice' of Jurisdictions

A Ukrainian presidential adviser said the UOC is not banned but pressured to choose between joining the OCU, submitting to Constantinople, or remaining unregistered, while dismissing international concerns as propaganda.

Indiana Reports 98% Drop in Abortions Under Stricter Law

Indiana’s latest health report shows a 98% drop in reported abortions under stricter laws, though dozens still occurred under legal exceptions and concerns persist about unreported pill abortions.

Armenian Apostolic Church Pushes Back on Political Encroachment

The Armenian Apostolic Church plans to appeal to international bodies to resist government interference and defend its clergy and sacred relics.

Attempted Takeover at Armenian Etchmiadzin Cathedral Thwarted by Faithful

Supporters of Armenian PM Pashinyan attempted to storm Etchmiadzin Cathedral amid calls for the Catholicos’s resignation but were blocked by parishioners and security.