Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev) of the Russian Orthodox Church greeted Metropolitan Onufriy (Berezovskyi) on the upcoming anniversary - the 70th birthday anniversary and decorated him with the Order of St. Sergius, I degree.
The ceremony of award was held on October 23 in Moscow, where the head of the UOC (MP) arrived to participate in the next meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Head of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed gratitude to Metropolitan Onufriy for his service in the office of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) and for his diligent labors in all areas of obedience, noting that he always met all of life's hardships “with humility, with hope for the will of God with integrity.”
“This way of your life has found strong support from the Ukrainian bishops, when it came to the election of the Primate, as well as from the fullness of the Church, of all its members,” said Kirill.
As reported by the official website of the UOC (MP), the head of the Russian Orthodox Church also gifted Metropolitan with an ancient icon of the Dormition with a piece the relics of St. Onuphrius.