Metropolitan Longin on meeting of UOC reps with G7 ambassadors: I am shocked

The abbot of the Bancheny Monastery, Metropolitan Longin (Zhar), criticized the meeting of UOC representatives with the ambassadors of the G7 countries. The bishop wrote an address, the text of which was posted on the Telegram channel of the Bancheny Monastery.

According to Metropolitan Longin, he was shocked by the participation of Metropolitan Clement and Archpriest Mykolay Danylevych in the meeting of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations with the ambassadors of the G7 countries.

"What is the point of this? Do they (the ambassadors of the G7 countries) not see and understand that our canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been suffering for so many years?" the archbishop inquires.

He reminded that "our churches are being taken away, bishops are being judged, priests are being beaten, and UOC believers are being mocked."

"They want to imprison all the faithful of the UOC in our country and do not hear us. They slander us, falsely accusing us of being non-canonical. (It has been the case – Ed.) since 2013, and still they do not see the tears of the Ukrainian Orthodox people and do not protect us," the bishop wrote.

Metropolitan Longin asked Metropolitan Clement and Archpriest Mykolay Danylevych, "Which Synod blessed you for such an unlawful gathering in which you participated?" and asked them to reread the first psalm of King David, which says: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly..."

"Surprisingly, why did you participate in this meeting? Did you inform the participants of the meeting about the sufferings of our canonical Ukrainian Church? I am not sure..." Metropolitan Longin concluded.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Metropolitan Clement of Nizhyn and Pryluky and Archpriest Mykolay Danylevych participated in an AUCCRO meeting with the ambassadors of the G7 countries.