New generations of Ukrainians will not go to the Moscow-affiliated church, – hieromonks of the UOC-MP who joined the OCU

"They'll just be left alone if they don't change anything. And they have no other prospect because new generations of Ukrainians will not come to them," says Januarius.

According to the monks, this situation has developed due to the attitude of the clergy of the UOC-MP to people from other faiths.

"We even recognize the baptism and consecration of Catholics," Father Sophronius continues. "If a Catholic priest wants to come to us, then he is accepted through chrismation. The question arises why you, the Moscow Patriarchate, refuse to recognize the same Orthodox Christians. Either you are politically biased, or tough, or you don't see the point in unity to end discord. It is cruel to hate your fellow countrymen so much because they are not in the bosom of their church. As a priest, Christian, and human being, I don't understand this. "They'll just be left alone if they don't change anything. And they have no other prospect because new generations of Ukrainians will not come to them. Today I open the gates of the church, and people ask: "what kind of church is this?"This is the local Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy," I say. "Ah, well, thank God! I'll drop in."

It would be good if we united because these are all our people. But on the other hand, now I don't want all this to merge so that people with brainwashed minds join us and carry the ideology of the "Russian World". Let all this be reborn by itself, the Soviet generation will pass away, and progressive people will come to us", the now OCU monks commented on the situation.