Metropolitan Michael of Lutsk and Volyn of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine reacted to the appearance in Moscow of another official publication - the "Patriarchal Calendar for 2024." It lists all the bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). Metropolitan Onufriy, who heads the UOC-MP, is listed as a "permanent member of the Holy Synod" - the governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The press service of the Volyn Eparchy of the OCU reported this.
"It's become usual that the aggressor floods the world with fakes. Is this also a lie? Strangely enough, not this time. Why? Because neither 'Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Onufriy,' nor 'Metropolitan of Volodymyr-Volynsky and Kovel Volodymyr,' nor 'Metropolitan of Volyn and Lutsk Nafanail,' nor 'Bishop of Kamen-Kashirsky Afanasiy,' nor their fellow ministers have officially disclaimed or probably will disclaim affiliation with the Church of the terrorist country. They have never announced their departure from the Moscow Patriarchate.
There is another argument that, this time, the Moscow church leader is telling the truth. In his calendar, there are no metropolitans Simeon (Shostatsky) and Alexander (Drabinko), who were previously bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate but genuinely denounced the occupier and are currently part of the episcopate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Priests and parishioners in Ukraine still submit to Moscow-affiliated bishops! Come to your senses and leave the Church of the country that kills us!" reads the message.