New UOC-KP Bishop of Kharkiv and Bohodukhiv Ordained

On August 25 in the St. Volodymyr’s Patriarchal Cathedral, Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate led the liturgy, during which Archimandrite Mytrofan (Butynskyi) was ordained as bishop of the Eparchy of Kharkiv and Bohodukhiv.

Afterward, the patriarch shared these instructive words with Bishop Mytrofan:

“You have begun well, having stood on a narrow road. You obtained a higher theological education, entered the priesthood and monastic life, lived in St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, then in Vydubitskyi, then were appointed to the Monastery of St. George the Victorious at the Cossack graves in the Rivne Eparchy. Now you have to work hard in the Kharkiv Eparchy. You have the great responsibility to build the eparchy of the Kyiv Patriarchate in difficult conditions. To do this, you received a gift from God. We often see that bishops and priests do not think about their personal salvation, and then their service loses its favored force. In such cases, bishops and priests become regular administrators or mercenaries. And God distinguishes the pastors from the administrators and mercenaries. Anyone who serves for the money belongs to the category of mercenaries and will not have rewards in heaven, for he already took the rewards in the form of money, for which he worked,” said Patriarch Filaret.

Then hierarchs gave Bishop Mitrofan a symbol of the archpastoral ministry – a bishop’s staff.