His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry celebrates 50 years of monastic tonsure

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry. Photo: news.church.ua

March 18, 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the monastic tonsure by the Primate of the UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine, reports the Information and Educational Department of the UOC.

In 1971, with the blessing of the Patriarchal Locum tenens, Metropolitan Pimen of Krutitsy and Kolomna and the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Augustine (Sudoplatov), the future Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was tonsured into monasticism and was given a name in honor of the Monk Onuphrius. The rite of tonsure was performed by the Dean of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, the future Metropolitan of Cheboksary and Chuvashi Archimandrite Varnava (Kedrov).

On June 20 of the same year, the monk Onuphrius was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon, on May 29, 1972 – to the hieromonk, in 1980 he was elevated to the rank of hegumen. On August 28, 1984, he was appointed rector of the Transfiguration Church of the Athos Representative Office in the village of Lukino (Peredelkino station, Moscow Region). On June 28, 1985, the future Primate of the UOC was appointed Dean of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and on Christmas of the following year, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.

From July 20, 1988 to November 1990, he was the governor of the Holy Dormition Pochayiv Lavra. On November 24, 1990, by a decree of the Holy Synod of the UOC, Archimandrite Onuphry (Berezovsky) was elected Bishop of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna. The episcopal consecration took place on December 9 and was officiated by the former Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Filaret, who later backslid into schism and took charge of the Kyiv Patriarchate.

In 1992, Vladyka Onuphry was among those bishops who resolutely opposed the non-canonical actions of the then Metropolitan Filaret Denisenko.

In 1994, Vladyka was elevated to the rank of archbishop, in 2000 he became Metropolitan of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna, while on August 13, 2014, following a secret ballot, he was elected Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry has said more than once that he considers himself a humble monk, whatever obedience he may have.

Let us remind you that earlier His Beatitude spoke about the main goal of his primatial ministry.

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