UOC cleric: We want Patriarch Bartholomew to see how numerous we are

Priest Alexander from Chernivtsi. Photo: a screenshot from the “Pershy Nezalezhny” Youtube channel

Priest Alexander from Chernivtsi said on the "Pershy Nezalezhny" channel that UOC believers, who love His Beatitude Onuphry, are ready to travel thousands of kilometers to show Patriarch Bartholomew how many Orthodox there are in Ukraine.

“We came (to the prayer standing near the VR – Ed.) so that Patriarch Bartholomew saw how many we are so that after his arrival the same thing that has been dragging on for several years bringing great suffering to believers (UOC – Ed.) does not repeat ... Today thousands of people have gathered here, people are still arriving. Orthodox Christians who respect and love our Beatitude Onuphry are ready to travel both 600 and 1,000 km. There are people here who came from Romania and Moldova, and they all support our Beatitude Onuphry. If Bartholomew considers himself an Orthodox patriarch, he is obliged to come out to us and explain why he brought discord and enmity to our people and what he wants to achieve by this. We have got simple questions. I am afraid that he will not come out and will not tell us anything because he has nothing to tell us, because everything is clear, anyway,” noted Priest Alexander.

According to the UOC priest, the Ukrainian authorities do not react to the words of the UOC believers or simply ignore them.

“They do not want to react to our words, we go out with peaceful protests; today we read akathists; we stand and pray calmly, do not go on storms; and we hope that he (Patriarch Bartholomew – Ed.) will come out. We protested against his arrival, no one noticed. If he (Patriarch Bartholomew – Ed.) asked the blessing of His Beatitude to come to Ukraine as a political rather than a religious figure, I think His Beatitude would bless him because he (His Beatitude – Ed.) is a holy man and fights for Orthodox faith to triumph in Ukraine, he fights not for power, but for people, for their souls,” he added.

The UOJ is livestreaming the prayer standing of UOC believers near the Verkhovna Rada online,

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