Cleric in Kyselivka joins OCU with his parish
The archimandrite justified his transition to Dumenko’s structure by stating that Russia is waging war against Ukraine, and that ROC clergy are blessing ballistic missiles.
On August 6, 2025, the parish of St. John the Theologian in the village of Kyselivka, Chernihiv Raion, Chernihiv Oblast, headed by Archimandrite Seraphim (Lysovyi), joined the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), reports cheline.
Archimandrite Seraphim justified his decision to join Dumenko’s structure by stating that Russia is waging war against Ukraine, and that clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) are blessing ballistic missiles.
He explained: “When the ROC began justifying killing, when its members started blessing ballistic missiles and excusing it by saying, ‘What difference does it make?’, then you start to ask yourself: ‘What is that Church really preaching?’ The love that the Lord speaks of – or bloodshed, justified by ‘holy war’?” said the archimandrite.
He did not, however, explain how any of these arguments relate to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), or how they justify his transition to Dumenko’s organization.
Nor did he clarify what kind of “love” the OCU preaches while seizing churches and brutally assaulting UOC priests.
It will be recalled that after his transition to the OCU, the priest lamented that his parishioners had turned away from him.
