Metropolitan Symeon predicts large-scale move of clergy to OCU
Metropolitan Symeon (Shostatsky) of Vynnytsia and Bar, who is among the founders of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, named a number of reasons for transition of a large number of priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate. He also expressed confidence that in the future the transition of parishes from the UOC-MP to the Local Church will be irreversible.
According to Metropolitan Symeon, the rate of transition of priests from the UOC-MP to the OCU may vary depending on region. It depends, in his words, on a number of conditions and attitudes of the population towards the Ukrainian and Russian Churches. This is reported by "Ukrayina Nova".
Metropolitan specified three main conditions for the large-scale transition of priests from the UOC-MP to the Local Church.
According to him, if more members of the UOC-MP had attended the Unification Council, many priests in Vynnytsia would now have followed his example.
“Next, a few things will contribute to the formation of their position. The first and main condition is the Tomos, expected on January 6. The second condition is the law on the renaming of the UOC-MP (already adopted on December 19) and on the registration of the charters, so that each community has the right to decide on its own with whom to remain - with the Russian Church or the Ukrainian one. And the third condition is the recognition of the OCU by other Churches. Our priests are told directly: as soon as the OCU is recognized by other Churches; we can, perhaps, also join it. One way or another, you need to be prepared for a long process. This is like having a baby: it has already come into the world, but it still needs maternal care,” he said.
As reported, Metropolitan Symeon (Shostatsky) of Vynnytsia and Bar is one of two representatives of the UOC-MP, who took part in the Unification Council earlier this month.
