The hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Michael of Lutsk and Volyn, called hypocritical the recent statements by UOC-MP priests who said they were willing to secede from the ROC. The OCU Metropolitan is convinced that this is deception and that the UOC-MP is taking such a step, being afraid that believers will start fleeing toward the OCU. In fact, the UOC-MP will not take further concrete steps to break ties with Moscow, the cleric believes.
The OCU Metropolitan said this on Channel 12 last week.
“I don’t believe them! None of their words and none of their deeds – until there are concrete steps. And this would be a complete rejection of the Moscow Patriarchate and the desire to unite into a single local Orthodox Church. Then I will believe that they are willing to do something for Ukraine. Failure to do so is hypocrisy. Whatever slogans they throw out, it’s all hypocrisy to deceive people,” said Metropolitan Michael.
“There is nothing further beyond the move not to commemorate Cyril. They do not commemorate Cyril, while at the same time remaining part of the ROC. So what then? The war is ongoing, and they are afraid, so that’s why they are not commemorating him. Tomorrow the war will end – and they will get back to commemorating him. Or they will do so quietly, without even voicing it, so that others can’t hear. On paper, they still belong to the MP,” said Metropolitan Michael.
“For me to believe them, they must convene their local council – either within the diocese or an all-Ukrainian one – and at this council, they must declare severance of legal, administrative, and spiritual relations with the aggressor power and the ROC,” said the OCU hierarch.
“When such a decision is made, I will believe that they have taken the first step. The second step is for them to say: let’s defend our country together, let’s unite in a big local church. These are the steps. Everything else is deception and hypocrisy,” said Metropolitan Michael.
