Metropolitan Epifaniy's call to pray in native language provoked aggression from the UOC MP
A very simple and understandable call from the head of the local Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and all Ukraine, to pray in one's native language, ignited negative emotions among representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine. In particular, the Vicar of the Trinity Monastery of St. Jonas, Bishop Jonah (Cherepanov) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, posted an aggressive message on social networks.
This is reported by Glavkom.
On his Facebook page, he posted two comments on the activities of the OCU and the call to pray in their native language, in which the call for Ukrainians to pray in their own language is called senile insanity...
"All the streets are stuffed up with this insanity," says a certain Iriney Usenko. Also, in the post, he speaks in a hostile manner about the Primate of the UOC/OCU Epifaniy. So, Jonah (Cherepanov), who distributes these messages, fully shares these opinions and ridicules the autocephalous church and the aspirations of Ukrainians.
Another representative of the Moscow Patriarchate was outraged by the call to pray in one's native language. Archimandrite Seraphim Veresh wrote that "the OCU is a foreign structure for Ukraine, a foreign body that, from time to time, boils and fills everything around it with manure."
It is worth noting that the head of the OCU Epifaniy launched a call to pray in one's native language on billboards in Kyiv. It is not particularly Ukrainian that is referred to. However, even such an innocent call by Epifaniy caused Ukrainophobic hysteria among a number of representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate and other citizens of Ukraine who are hostile to the Ukrainian church, the Ukrainian language and Ukrainian history.
Who is Jonah Cherepanov
Maxym Cherepanov was born on December 29, 1971, in Kyiv in the family of a serviceman who comes from the Russian Federation. In 1989-1992, he studied at Oleksandr Bohomolets Kyiv Medical Institute. In 1992, he enrolled among the brethren of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. In 1993, he was transferred to the Holy Trinity St Jonah Monastery, where he got a speedy career promotion.
By the decision of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of December 23, 2010, he was appointed chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs.
By the decision of the Synod of August 26, 2011, he was appointed bishop of Obukhov, Vicar of the Diocese of Kyiv.
Archbishop Jonah is known for his acquaintance with the former figure of the pro-Russian Cossacks Oleksiy Selivanov (later a militant of the "L/DPR"). Bishop Jonah has repeatedly expressed hatred and contempt for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, as evidenced by the messages on his Facebook page.
Together with the Metropolitans of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine Onufriy and Anthony (Pakanych) in 2015, he refused to stand up in the Verkhovna Rada as a sign of respect for the Ukrainian soldiers who died in the ATO.
Ion and his entourage were critically evaluated by Novoye Vremya journalist Ivan Verstyanyuk, the author of several high-profile investigations. In particular, Verstyanyuk talks about Ion's contacts with pro-Moscow sectarian centers.
This year, under the leadership of Jonah, the Pokrov Film Festival was held in the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, where propagandists from the Russian Federation, in particular Boris Korchevnikov, were noticed. The festival promoted unity and friendship with Russia based on "Orthodoxy".
