The clergy of Rovno eparchy express full support for His Beatitude Onufry

On October 19, at the St. Nicholas Convent of Gorodok, an extraordinary meeting of the clergy of the Rovno eparchy took place, in which the clergy expressed their full support for His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry, reports a UOJ correspondent. The meeting was attended by over 200 clergymen of the eparchy, hegumens and hegumenesses of all monasteries.

The reason for the gathering was the events that alarmed the Orthodox around the world: the anti-canonical actions of Phanar and the reaction of the Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches to them.

“The decisions of the Synod of the Church of Constantinople, taken unilaterally and without agreement, primarily with those whom these decisions concern, are unlawful,” said Metropolitan Bartholomew of Rovno and Ostrog. He called everyone to intensify prayer and take reasonable decisions.

“They will not be able to impose a substitution of concepts and values and draw us into the political games of those in power,” the His Grace said.

The vicar of the Rovno eparchy Bishop Pimen of Dubno continued an extraordinary eparchial meeting. He spoke about the canonical violations on the part of Phanar and about the possibilities of overcoming the conflict between the Churches.

Protopriest Valery Kapitoniuk, the Dean of Rovno Deanery, commented on the statements of the authorities and radical nationalists, who openly call to take away the property, churches and monasteries from the UOC. "I believe that the orders for the census of church property are complete nonsense, which will entail many problems," said the priest. He is confident that such a census "gives carte blanche to antiquity-lovers and thieves".

The meetings of the clergy of the Rovno eparchy ended with a vote. The clergy unanimously condemned the actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.