The Head of the OCU: Metropolitan Onufriy blocked all attempts to continue the dialogue, even private ones
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This was stated by the Head of the OCU, Metropolitan Epifaniy, in his speech at the European consultations on a just peace in Warsaw, Religiyna Pravda reports.
According to the Primate, critics and opponents systematically accuse the OCU of the fact that incidents in certain communities cause a lack of dialogue. However, the reason for such incidents is the deliberate blocking of any dialogue by Metropolitan Onufriy and his hierarchs, and the latter provoking conflicts in the communities.
“Until the beginning of 2014, while Metropolitan Volodymyr was alive, he facilitated and encouraged dialogue to the extent possible. Metropolitan Onufriy immediately blocked all attempts to continue the dialogue - formal, public, even private and unofficial ones.
Over these 10 years, none of our many appeals, which are regularly sent to Metropolitan Onufriy and to the jurisdiction he heads, have been answered in any constructive. This also applies to my appeal to start a dialogue without preconditions, which I made on August 15 this year. You can read the text of said appeal in English.
Yet, this does not mean that there is no dialogue and interaction. Dialogue continues at the level of the laity and the priests. Its fruit is the ongoing process of communities leaving the Russian church's jurisdiction and joining the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. More than 2,000 communities have already undergone this process,” Metropolitan Epifaniy said.
He stated that he would like to take this opportunity as the Head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine to renew his call made on August 15. At the time, he addressed Metropolitan Onufriy and all those under his jurisdiction to begin a constructive dialogue without preconditions.
“We do wish to hold such a dialogue, and I cannot agree with those eager to blame the Orthodox Church of Ukraine for the fact that Metropolitan Onufriy is foiling this process.
Our Church is systematically accused by critics and opponents saying that incidents in certain communities cause a lack of dialogue. In fact, the situation is quite the opposite. The reason for such incidents is the deliberate blocking of any dialogue by Metropolitan Onufriy and his hierarchs, and the latter provoking conflicts in the communities,” said the Head of the OCU.
According to the Primate, all this is very similar to Russian tactics, when Moscow justifies attacking Ukraine by saying the latter resists the Kremlin's hybrid aggression. Moscow constantly pretends to be the victim of aggression, which is allegedly forced to defend itself.
“One of the signs of a constructive dialogue is the level at which the parties are willing to conduct it. We propose to conduct a dialogue in a format that provides for equial responsibility of both sides. After all, it would not work for the participants on our side to be officially authorized by the Primate and the Synod, and on the side of Metropolitan Onufriy's jurisdiction - unofficially authorized laymen or parish priests, whose position can be declared their personal opinion at any time and who have no influence on the decisions made by the Synod of Metropolitan Onufriy. Dialogue should lead to results, and not resemble a fig tree hiding the absence of fruit behind lush foliage,” Metropolitan Epifany emphasized.