The UOC-MP secretly ordained a separatist priest from Crimea, Fr Kalinik (Chernyshov) as a Bishop in Nizhyn on Sunday.
The UOC-MP secretly ordained a separatist priest from Crimea, Fr Kalinik (Chernyshov) as a Bishop in Nizhyn on Sunday.
This was announced on Facebook by Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya) of the OCU. Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev also wrote about the ordination on Facebook. On the contrary, the official website of the UOC-MP did not say a word about this event.
According to Archbishop Yevstraty, the consecration took place in St Nicholas Cossack Cathedral of Nizhyn.
"The fact that the place of dedication was St. Nicholas Cathedral can be seen in the photo of the iconostasis, against which the participants starred at the end. Also, a large meeting in that Church on December 8 is testified by the residents of Nizhyn in publications, " the Hierarch noted.
Fr Kalinik (Chernyshov) is known for actively contributing to the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in the spring of 2014. За що отримав відзнаку від окупантів і нею вельми похвалявся. Four years ago in the monastery, he was elected vicar Bishop in Crimea, but through publicity in the press, they were cautious about his ordination because such a candidate could simply be arrested as an accomplice of the occupiers.
"And now they decided that "the time has come." Apparently from Russia gave the go-ahead message, and then on the spot calculated that on the eve of the meeting in Paris, the Ukrainian state does not want a scandal with Moscow. However, they were apparently afraid to do it in Kyiv, so they went to Cossack Nizhyn...
Closer to Kruty.
Closer to Baturyn.
In order not just to ordain an open accomplice of the occupiers as a Bishop — but at the same time to demonstrate "who is the boss", Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya) noted.
As RISU already reported, Kalinik (Kostyantyn) Chernyshov was born in 1977 in Yevpatoria. He has higher education in law and economics, a master's degree in theology.
According to the website "Myrotvorest (Peacemaker)", Archimandrite Kalinik (Chernyshov) took an active part in the annexation of the Crimea: he conducted anti-Ukrainian campaign, he located a weapons depot for "self-defense of Crimea" on the territory of the Church of the Holy Prophet John the Baptist in the village of Zatyshne, where he is the rector. The Russian authorities of the Crimea conferred on him the medal "For the defense of Crimea".
On May 3, in Yevpatoria on Theatre square, the leadership of the "people's militia" awarded the cleric of the UOC (MP) with an honorary diploma. On the same day 144 "defenders of the Fatherland" — the so-called soldiers of the local militia and civilians who "actively helped the resistance forces of neo-Nazism" were granted the awards.