Primate: Military clergy of UOC work tirelessly for victory and peace

The Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has published an address by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine to the participants of the annual meeting of the UOC military clergy held at the Trinity Brailiv Convent.

The Primate expressed his gratitude to all clerics who "during the terrible war fulfil the spiritual and pastoral care of our believers in the Armed Forces and other military formations of Ukraine".

"Today, when the Holy Church is undergoing extremely difficult trials, when churches are taken away, shrines are desecrated, and the clergy are persecuted, you – our military clergy – continue to courageously and tirelessly carry the word of Christ to those who are especially in need, to those whose tears and despair overwhelm their hearts, to those who courageously and selflessly perform their sacrificial ministry," His Beatitude noted.

According to him, "every Christian is not only a citizen of heaven – the Kingdom of Heaven, where he is called by the Lord, but also a citizen of his earthly Homeland, for you and me – Ukraine", and "defence of our Motherland is a sacred duty of every citizen, and therefore of every believer of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church".

"Our parishioners fight at the front, help in the rear, collect aid for the AFU. Therefore, the ministry of military clergy today is extremely important. Our shepherds, putting into practice the image of evangelical life, are doing everything in their power to prayerfully and materially help the destitute residents of the destroyed towns and villages of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. The clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church take care of the wounded soldiers in hospitals, providing along with medicines for the recovery of the body and medicines for the salvation of the soul. Great honour and gratitude to you, all-honourable fathers, for showing a good example of true pastoral care through your deeds, for tirelessly serving and working for the sake of victory and the desired peace," wrote the Primate of the UOC.

He called on military priests "to continue carrying out their obedience diligently and rigorously, with sincere faith and hope for God's mercy and help" so that the soldiers – their spiritual children – through their service would cultivate patience, humility, love of neighbour and mercy.

"Do not forget also the family members of the fallen and wounded heroes. Their hearts and souls are filled with pain and suffering that must now be carried through life, and mental anguish is often heavier than physical. It is very important for them to have someone nearby, a mentor, a pastor, who will support them, comfort them with a word and give them hope," emphasized the Primate.

"We pray for the deceased heroes, who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of Ukraine, that the Merciful Lord rest them in abodes where there is no sorrow, sickness and sighing. We also beseech our Protectress before the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos, that through her prayers, the Savior will send the long-awaited peace to our much-suffering Ukraine," His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry assured and invoked God's blessing on the participants of the meeting.

As reported, on 17 October 2023, before the beginning of their meeting, the military priests celebrated a liturgy at the Trinity Brailiv Convent, led by Metropolitan Augustine, the head of the UOC Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Other Military Formations of Ukraine.