ROC administrator visits Crimea without permission of Ukrainian authorities
From June 25 to 29, 2018, Metropolitan Varsonofiy (Sudakov) of St. Petersburg and Ladoga), at the invitation of Metropolitan Lazar of the Simferopol and Crimean UOC-MP, made a visit to the occupied Crimea.
Thus, he ignored both church subordination (the invitation was not made by the primate of the UOC (MP)), as well as secular laws of Ukraine, which determine the stay of foreign citizens in the annexed peninsula”, Religiyna Pravda reports.
According to the website of the Russian Orthodox Church, the administrator of the ROC was welcomed by Metropolitan Lazar and “the head of the Republic of Crimea" Sergey Aksyonov at the Simferopol airpor.
“I have had an opportunity to visit the blessed Crimean land,” said the Moscow Patriarchate's administrator. "But for me it is a great pleasure to pray again at the relics of the great confessor of God, the Crimean Holy Hierarch Luka, who was especially venerated not only in the Russian Orthodox Church, but also in other Local Churches. Like many Orthodox Christians, I am resorting to the prayers of the saint when I feel bad, and I get solace. Thank you for the opportunity to visit the shrines of Crimea.”
At the same time, it was reported by the “city authorities.”
“His Eminence traveled along the Crimean Bridge, visited the Cathedral of John the Forerunner, met with the city leadership and visited the border control office of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea,” noted the administration of Kerch.
Accompanying the guest from the Moscow Patriarchate was bishop Platon of Kerch, the hierarch of the UOC (MP), and S. Voronchikhin, head of the department for interethnic relations of the Kerch administration.
The Administrator of the ROC was accompanied by his deputy Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov), employees of St. Petersburg Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Moscow Patriarchate.
On June 29, Metropolitan Varsonofiy left for Moscow.
sure to pray again at the relics of the great confessor of God, the Crimean Holy Hierarch Luka, who was especially venerated not only in the Russian Orthodox Church, but also in other Local Churches. Like many Orthodox Christians, I am resorting to the prayers of the saint when I feel bad, and I get solace. Thank you for the opportunity to visit the shrines of Crimea.”
At the same time, it was reported by the “city authorities.”
“His Eminence traveled along the Crimean Bridge, visited the Cathedral of John the Forerunner, met with the city leadership and visited the border control office of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea,” noted the administration of Kerch.
Accompanying the guest from the Moscow Patriarchate was bishop Platon of Kerch, the hierarch of the UOC (MP), and S. Voronchikhin, head of the department for interethnic relations of the Kerch administration.
The Administrator of the ROC was accompanied by his deputy Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov), employees of St. Petersburg Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Moscow Patriarchate.
On June 29, Metropolitan Varsonofiy left for Moscow.
