Zaporizhia Eparchy initiates "Bartholomew, we did not invite you" flashmob

In the churches of the Zaporizhia Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a flash mob was initiated against the visit of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to Ukraine.

Parishes are photographed with posters “Bartholomew, We Didn't Call You” with the photos published on social networks, adding the hashtag #СТОПВАРФОЛОМЕЙ (STOPBARTHOLOMEW – Trans.).

As Archpriest Gennady Yelin, head of the Chancellery of the Zaporozhia Diocese, noted on his Fb page, it was decided for the believers of the UOC that they were looking forward to the arrival of Patriarch Bartholomew, "who was invited on our behalf to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence."

“Anyone who does not expect this Istanbul pasha is asked to join the flash mob and place the text ‘Bartholomew, we didn’t invite you!’ on your personal page. You can print an A4 placard with this text and place a photo on your page. Or take a shared photo with a poster and post it on your page or your parish page. Make sure to add the #СТОПВАРФОЛОМЕЙ hashtag to the publication,” the priest explained.

Metropolitan Luke of Zaporozhia and Melitopol responded approvingly to this idea of believers.

“This is an interesting initiative of our parishioners, when they are not heard! Please support it!" wrote the bishop in his tg-channel.

A number of parishes of the diocese have already taken part in the flash mob.

"We are not slaves of Bartholomew, we are slaves of God!" emphasized in his tg-channel Archpriest Alexander Ovcharenko, a cleric of the Church of Saints Peter and Fevronia in Zaporizhia.

Believers from other dioceses of the UOC are also invited to join the flash mob and express their opinion regarding the visit of the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Also, the UOJ wrote that the Zaporizhia bishop called to support the “Miriane” movement.