Bishop of UOC denies reports about "fake" gratitude from the military

Metropolitan of Oleksandria and Svitlovodsk Bogolep. Photo: politica.com.ua

Metropolitan Bogolep of Oleksandria and Svitlovodsk refuted the information presented in the Suspilne story, in which the Oleksandria diocese of the UOC was de facto accused of forging a letter of gratitude received from the 174th separate battalion of the 121st separate brigade of the Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The footage shows a commentary by a man in military uniform who is introduced as a battalion commander – his name is not given and his face is not shown “for security reasons”. He denies any contacts with the UOC and says that “both the signature and the seal” on the document “raise doubts”, “they are similar, but not quite.” Other arguments: the text is written "not in the font" that is usually used in parts in similar cases, and "not a single form of such a letter was found in the computer, on which similar thank-you letters are printed."

The military man claims that in a conversation with him, Metropolitan Bogolep “did not give any explanation, he said, ‘They just conveyed gratitude to me,’” and likewise, “without explanation,” the diocesan administration “returned” the gratitude at the request of the battalion commander.

“This is not true,” the Metropolitan said in a video message posted on Facebook. “Unfortunately, I cannot show any record, but when we talked with the commander, I said who conveyed this gratitude to me. He heard it very well. <...> It was given to me by a priest who is engaged in volunteer work in our eparchy. For a long time, this priest has been selflessly engaged in volunteering. For some reason, the commander does not dare to say this in an interview.

The bishop noted that he once again set out the information about how and from whom the diocese received thanks in a letter sent to the battalion commander.

In addition, the deputy commander of the battalion, who came to the diocesan administration to collect gratitude "until the end of the investigation," received the corresponding explanations from the bishop.

“Of course, we talked with the representative of the military unit, I explained from whom I received this gratitude, explained the situation, he also explained his point,” the Metropolitan said.

He also denied journalists' claims that they could not contact him.

“No one talked to me, but they already condemned me, made me an enemy. Brothers and sisters, it is very imprudent to act in this way, because there is a human court, and there is a divine court,” the archpastor recalled.

“I officially reiterate: I didn’t think up this gratitude, I didn’t buy it, I didn’t forge it, I didn’t print it,” Metropolitan Bogolep said.

According to the bishop, he recorded this video message because it is not only about him personally, but also about the priests of the diocese – "people of faith, honest and integrity."

Vladyka expressed surprise at the fact that the authors of the story “did not ask how the investigation that was conducted regarding the issuance of this gratitude ended, and if it is fake, then who falsified it.”

The bishop also drew attention to the words of the battalion commander, retold by journalists, “It is important for him that the battalion is not associated with the Russian Church.”

“So, perhaps this is the reason why all these unpleasant things begin?” the Metropolitan wonders. “But excuse me – with what ‘Russian Church’? We have the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. And what they say in the media, escalate, provoke – this is discrediting, this is a certain form of manipulating public opinion.

Vladyka addressed everyone who actively spread the “news” about “unreal gratitude”: “Could you as 'objective journalists', 'objective bloggers' or social media users post my explanation? I doubt it. Someone is trying to cast us as enemies, someone is constantly pushing the public to some conclusions.

Vladyka stressed that the clergy and believers of the Eparchy of Oleksandria provide great assistance to both the military and the civilian population affected by the war, and many priests really receive gratitude from military units.

“Unfortunately, you see how everything is twisted,” the Metropolitan said.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the commander of the security company of the Shevchenkovsky Regional Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support of Kharkiv handed a letter of gratitude to the rector of the Church of the Nativity of Christ of the UOC, Archpriest Ihor Seredych, “for his significant personal contribution, civic courage, patriotism and participation in the noble cause of supporting the military and volunteers who fight for the independence of Ukraine.”

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