Chancellor: UOC status has never prevented it from leading people to God

Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanych), the UOC Chancellor. Photo: a screenshot of Met. Anthony’s YouTube channel

Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary said in an address published on his YouTube channel that the status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has never prevented it from leading people to God.

Commenting on the appeal of a group of clergy to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry with a demand to convene a Council of Bishops of the UOC to proclaim autocephaly, Metropolitan Antony said: "Let's be frank: the status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has never prevented it from fulfilling its direct duty of leading people to God."

"Everything else is politicking, emotion and speculation, which are far from the essence of Orthodoxy," he stressed and recalled that from time immemorial persecutors "have attempted to prevent the mission of the Church under any pretext".

Earlier, Metropolitan Anthony said that the UOC has no right to push God-entrusted people into schism despite intimidation and repression.

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