Metropolitan Onufry: biography, works

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

After Metropolitan Onufry became the head of the UOC, many breathed a sigh of relief. He is considered a pro-Russian religious figure who does not support the European integration of Ukraine, as he is a firm follower of the principles of unity of the Russian Orthodox Church.

New Metropolitan of Ukraine

At the end of the prayer of grace of the Council of Bishops of the UOC in the Dormition Cathedral of the Lavra, Metropolitan Onufry of Kyiv arranged a briefing for journalists.

They asked burning and very exciting questions about whether it is possible to unite the two Orthodox churches after their split, and how Primate Onufry is going to seek a dialogue with Philaret, to which the wise Metropolitan of Kyiv replied that unification is possible, but only sacred canons of the Holy Orthodox Ukrainian Church, and that he would seek dialogue not with Filaret, but, above all, with the Church. Then he was asked about relations with the Moscow Patriarchate. He answered this question by saying that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has autonomy and independence inmanagement, but in prayer to Christ we are all one. When asked about who is to blame for the conflict in the Donbass and whether the church helps the affected people, Metropolitan Onufry immediately replied that the church is out of politics. But as far as humanitarian aid is concerned, it certainly exists. Money is collected for the victims, they are sent medicines and hygiene products.

In Ukraine, the Orthodox Church is divided into:

• UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate, headed by Metropolitan Onufry.
• The UOC of the Kyiv Patriarchate is a church under the leadership of Metropolitan Filaret, anathematized, who abandoned the Moscow Patriarchate.
• Several non-canonical autocephalous churches, including the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church, founded in 1921 and reopened in the late 1980s.

Metropolitan Onufry. Ukraine and its politics

Until recently, no one could have imagined that in the autumn of 2014 such terrible events would begin in Ukraine. The coup d'etat that took place led to the death of people on the Maidan, and then in the Donbass. The new government began to impose its ideals and practices on people: the abolition of the law on languages, the glorification of Bandera, Shukhevych, UPA soldiers, and much more. All this caused great indignation and a split in society. To all these unpleasant events was added the death of His Beatitude Vladimir, who died after a serious illness on July 5, 2014. This situation was dangerous because the church has a pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian wing, and here too there are certain difficulties. It was also alarming thatthe choice of a new metropolitan will lead to serious disagreements or some other unforeseen events. But to everyone's joy, everything worked out.

After a certain time, the Synod gathered a Council of Bishops with priests from all over Ukraine, who for the most part voted for a single candidate, which turned out to be Onufry, Metropolitan of Chernivtsi and Bukovina. No one had any compromising evidence against him, he had a reputation as a very strict and modest monk. Now it is he who will have to continue the policy of unity and harmony laid down by Vladimir the Wise. To do this, it is worth remembering the history of the emergence of Christianity in Russia and talking about why people needed it.

Christian religion and its emergence in Russia

The three main religions of the world are Islam, Buddhism and Christianity, which, in turn, is divided into Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. Christianity is based on faith in Jesus, the main source of doctrine is the Bible, and communion with faith occurs through participation in the sacred sacraments.

In Kievan Rus, the Christian religion appeared a thousand years after the coming of Christ the Savior. The wise Princess Olga became the first ruler to be baptized in Constantinople (in the then Byzantine Constantinople). Her godfather was Caesar Constantine. After this event, Princess Olga began to beg her son Svyatoslav to also be baptized, but he neglected her advice, fearing that his soldiers would make fun of him. For this he paid with his ownhead. When the experienced commander Svyatoslav fell in battle, Khan of Pechenegsky made a goblet for wine framed in gold from his skull and drank from it for his victory.

Baptism of Russia

Kievan Rus was more and more buried in disunity and internecine wars. Then Olga's grandson, Vladimir, understanding the inability of the pagan faith to unite the principalities and tribes, wished to adopt such a religious belief that could do this. In 986, he met with the Bulgarian Muslims, but their laws did not please him much. Then the German Catholics came, and the Russian fathers also did not accept their religion. The turn came to the Khazar Jews, but their religion did not please the Russian prince either. And then one day a Greek philosopher came to him, with whom the prince talked for several days. All this time, the guest expounded to him the essence of the Holy Scriptures and practically persuaded Vladimir to accept Christianity. Then even the boyars began to persuade the prince to do this, referring to the fact that his grandmother Olga was a Christian and the wisest of all women in Russia.

In 988, Prince Vladimir fell ill, began to lose his sight, and Greek envoys were sent to him, who advised him to be baptized as soon as possible, otherwise he would go completely blind. When Prince Vladimir was baptized, he immediately received his sight and exclaimed: “I have known the True God!” After some time, he gathered all the people of Kyiv near the Dnieper River, and there they all received baptism, after which Vladimir asked God for help in enabling all these people to know him and strengthen the true faith in them. Christian Orthodox faith.

Biography

In the world, Metropolitan Onufry was called Orest Vladimirovich Berezovsky. He was born in November 1944 in the family of an Orthodox priest, who lived in the village of Korytnoye, Chernivtsi region. Just like all children, he went to high school, then graduated from the Chernivtsi technical school. In 1966, Orest entered Chernivtsi University, but after the third year he went to study at the Theological Seminary, and then at the Theological Academy of the city of Moscow, from where he graduated in 1988 as a candidate of theology.

Monastic vows

Young Orestes was preparing himself to be tonsured a monk and therefore for 18 years he was in obedience at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where he had his duties. In the spring of 1971, he became a monk, and he was christened Onufry in honor of the holy Monk Onuphry. In the same year he received the rank of hierodeacon, then the rank of hieromonk. Then, in 1980, he was already abbot, and in 1984 he became rector of the Moscow Athos Metochion of the Transfiguration Church in Lukin (Peredelkino). In 1985, he received the position of dean, and a year later he was elevated to the rank of the highest monastic rank - archimandrite.

The path from a novice to the Metropolitan of Kyiv

From 1988 to 1990, Archimandrite Onufry was the governor of the Pochaev Lavra. Some time later, the Synod of the UOC appointed him Bishop of Chernivtsi and Bukovina.

For refusing to sign in 1992 the appeal of the Council of Bishops of the UOC to the Moscow Patriarch Alexy II, which spoke about granting autocephaly to the UOC,Metropolitan Philaret (Denisenko) transferred Bishop Onufry to the Ivano-Frankivsk see. But after a while, the disgraced priest was nevertheless restored to the Chernivtsi cathedra.

However, further, the entire composition of the Bishops' Council of the UOC, in which Father Onuphry was also present, expressed no confidence in Metropolitan Philaret, who was immediately fired from the Kyiv cathedra and banned from holding religious services.

In 1994, the future Metropolitan of Kyiv was elevated to the rank of archbishop and he received permanent membership in the Holy Synod. In 2000, he was consecrated to the rank of metropolitan, and then he held the rank of chairman of the Canonical Commission of the Holy Synod and chairman of the Church Court of the Russian Orthodox Church (Russian Orthodox Church). Priest Onufry was also a member of the General Church Court of the Russian Orthodox Church, where he was also chairman. Since 2009, Metropolitan Onufry has been a member of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Blessed Metropolitan Onuphry had many honorary titles and ranks, you can't even list them all. But still, the main event in his life was the election of the head of the UOC, Metropolitan of Kyiv, approved by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the UOC. His solemn enthronement took place at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra on August 17, 2014.

Church awards and works

In 1973, Metropolitan Onufry received a pectoral cross as the highest award. In 2013, he was awarded the right to wear a second panagia. He was awarded the OrderSt. Innocent of Moscow and Kolomna, II degree, and the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, I degree, which were solemnly presented to him in 2014. In the summer of 2013, Metropolitan Onufry received the Order of Friendship of Peoples from the Russian Federation for his huge contribution to the development of friendly relations between the two fraternal states and the strengthening of their spiritual traditions.

His works were "The Word of Archimandrite Onuphry (Berezovsky) when he was named Bishop of Chernivtsi and Bukovina" and the Akathist to the Boyana Icon of the Mother of God.