Bishop’s metochion of UOC "joined" to OCU at urbanites’ meeting in Cherkasy
The abbot of the Cherkasy Sretensky Bishop's Metochion noted that the church community held a legitimate meeting in the temple and bespoke its belonging to the UOC.
On June 29, 2023, at the stadium in Cherkasy Khimikov Park, supporters of the OCU, with the support of local authorities, held a meeting of city residents, at which they voted for the transfer of the Sretensky Bishop’s Metochion of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to Epifany Dumenko’s organization. This was announced in a video message by the abbot of the metochion, Archpriest Yevhen Burkatsky.
He said that the organizers called the event at the stadium “a meeting of the religious community of the Sretensky parish of the UOC,” although the community itself was praying at worship in its church at that time.
Father Evhen recalled that the parishioners of the Bishop's Metochion held a meeting on June 28 "not at the stadium, but in the Church of God" and testified their belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry.
The priest noted that some media are spreading false information saying that the Sretensky community had allegedly moved to the OCU. He reminded the journalists of the lines from the Holy Scriptures: “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy” (Prov. 12:22).
“Understand that a religious community and an urban community are different communities,” the abbot said. “In an urban community, there may be Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and even atheists. The religious community is made up of those people who visit their church every Sunday, take part in its construction, repairs, paying utility bills, landscaping, charity, and so on. Belonging to a religious community does not mean consecrating an Easter cake or water once a year, it is, first of all, a constant spiritual work.”
Father Yevhen addressed the mayor of Cherkasy Anatoly Bondarenko, who participated in the meeting at the stadium: “You dined with us at the same table many times, took part in our common projects, asked for prayers and blessings for the elections. We understand that political circumstances oblige you to be in opposition to our canonical Church, but God is waiting for every soul.”
Earlier, the UOJ reported that public sector employees, including representatives of other faiths, were gathered to vote for the change of jurisdiction of the Sretensky community of the UOC in Cherkasy under the threat of dismissal.
