Orthodox Christians and Hierarchs of Ukraine Pray for Sick Metropolitans
In a commentary for the press-service of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, its head, Metropolitan Mefodii commented on the illness of Metropolitan Volodymyr of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate and Metropolitan Constantine of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of USA: “Even though we, Christians, rely completely on the Providence of God, the sicknesses of people who are close to us always constitute a special trial both for them and us. Today, when we received these two alarming pieces of news, we are trying to accept them in the Christian way, humbly and without grumbling. However, in our human earthly way, our heart is anxious about Blessed Metropolitans Volodymyr and Constantine and about their family members who take their sicknesses and suffering with a special pain. And, of course, today, one thinks in a special light about the future of our long-suffering Ukrainian Church, which is divided on the outside but is one before God and eternity. … To feel other people’s pain is what I cannot suppress in myself. What hurts my brother hurts myself. Therefore, today I say all my prayers for the improvement of the metropolitans, who are dear to my heart, the true Ukrainian hierarchs who have worn out their bodies during the decades of long standing before the throne of God because of their desire to serve God and the Church increasingly more but hardened their souls and spirits.”
Metropolitan Mefodii also asked all the people of good will to pray “for the health of Metropolitans Volodymyr and Constantine who have prayed for our Ukraine, its godly Ukrainian people all their lives.”
On the initiative of the community of the Cathedral of Resurrection of Christ, which is being built in Ukraine and whose senior priest is the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Volodymyr, each Friday, a night liturgy will be served for the improvement of the sick Metropolitan Volodymyr in the Church of All Saints located at the site.
The first such liturgy is to be celebrated on 4-5 November by the Secretary of the primate, Archbishop Oleksandr of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi and Vyshnevsk. So reported the web site of UOC-MP.
