"Hierarch" of UOC-KP: Look in the villages for men who can become priests
The OCU/UOC-KP is facing an acute personnel crisis: due to the lack of clergy for "worship services", "priests” even without education" are sought in remote villages.
The new church structure asked to "treat with understanding the temporary shortage of clergy" in parishes that "came out from under the Moscow yoke." This was announced by "metropolitan" Daniil of the UOC-KP in Chernivtsi and Bukovyna.
“We ask you, worthy Christians, during the adjustment of divine services in parishes that have emerged from the Moscow yoke, to treat with understanding the temporary shortage of clergy. The villages are returning, but there are not enough priests. Therefore, we ask you to bide your time,” the “hierarch” complains.
He goes on to urge those who do not even have a special religious education to "take upon themselves the burden of the priesthood", explaining that they will then be trained.
“We beg you – look for men in the villages who are worthy to serve the Lord God in the Holy Church. Men who can take on the burden of the priesthood, accept it for the sake of the future of your children, our Church and state. We will help you gain the knowledge necessary to serve God and people in the Church,” he says.
"Metropolitan" also says that in Bukovyna, Orthodox Christians "were deceived by priests, intimidated by Moscow and the canons." However, now, according to him, “The Lord has opened the eyes of our Christians to the important work done by President Petro Poroshenko, <…> and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.”
As the UOJ reported, the OCU stated that they were ready to allow even people who had not graduated from higher theological educational institutions to perform "worship services". In order to somehow prepare them, special courses will be opened.
The new church structure is in dire need of "priests", due to which a recruitment was announced from among graduates and students of higher theological educational institutions of the OCU. Even the lack of spiritual education is not an obstacle – for those who do not have it, special courses will be opened in the new religious organization.
“With my blessing, courses for those wishing to take holy orders will operate within the diocesan administration. According to the canons, male persons who have reached the age of majority, are married by their first marriage and have no canonical obstacles to this can proceed to the priesthood,” reads the announcement of the “hierarch” of the OCU.
Earlier the UOJ reported that the OCU is in bad need of the clergy, with a corresponding announcement published on Facebook by the "bishop" of the OCU Paisiy Kukharchuk.
