Metropolitan Onufry: biography, works

After Metropolitan Onuphrius became the Primate of the UOC, many sighed with great relief. He is considered a pro-Russian religious figure who does not support Ukraine's Eurointegration, since he is a firm follower of the principles of unity of the Russian Orthodox Church.

New Metropolitan of Ukraine

At the end of the graceful prayer of the Cathedral of Bishops of the UOC in the Assumption Cathedral of laurels, Metropolitan of Kiev Onufriy arranged a briefing for journalists.

They asked burning and very exciting questions on the question of whether it is possible to unite the two Orthodox churches after their split, and as the primate Onuphrius is going to seek a dialogue with Filaret, to which the wise Metropolitan of Kiev replied that the union is possible, but only according to the sacred canons of the Holy Orthodox Ukrainian Church, and that he will seek a dialogue not with Filaret, but, first of all, with the Church. Then he was asked about his relations with the Moscow Patriarchate. This question was answered by the fact that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has independence and control, but in prayer to Christ we are all one. When he was asked about who is to blame for the conflict in the Donbass and whether the church helps the affected people, Metropolitan Onuphrius immediately replied that the church is out of politics. But as for humanitarian aid, it certainly exists. For the victims, money is collected, they are sent medicines and hygiene products.

In Ukraine, the Orthodox Church is divided into:

• UOC Moscow Patriarchate, headed by Metropolitan Onufriy.
• The UOC of the Kyiv Patriarchate is a church run by Metropolitan Philaret, an anathemist who refused the Moscow Patriarchate.
• Several non-canonical autocephalous churches, including the Ukrainian autocephalous church, created in 1921 and resumed its activities in the late 80's.

Metropolitan Onufry. Ukraine and its politics

Until recently, no one could have imagined that in the fall of 2014 in Ukraine such terrible events would begin. The coup d'état resulted in the deaths of people on the Maidan, and later in the Donbas. The new government began to impose its ideals and practices on people: the repeal of the law on languages, the glorification of Bandera, Shukhevych, the UPA soldiers and much more. All this caused great indignation and split in the society. To all these unpleasant events, the death of blessed Vladimir, who died after a serious illness on July 5, 2014, was added. This situation was dangerous because there is a pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian wing in the church, and there are certain kinds of difficulties. It was also alarming that serious disagreements or other unforeseen events would begin with the choice of the new metropolitan. But everyone was happy about the general joy.

After a certain time, the Synod assembled the Council of Bishops with priests throughout Ukraine, who in the majority voted for a single candidate, which turned out to be Onuphrius, Metropolitan Chernovitsky and Bukovinsky. On him, no one found any compromising evidence, he had the reputation of a very strict and modest monk. Now he will have to continue the policy of unity and harmony laid down by Vladimir the Wise. For this it is worth remembering the history of the rise of Christianity in Russia and talking about what it was necessary for people.

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. At the heart of Christianity is the belief in Jesus, the main source of the doctrine is the Bible, and admission to faith takes place with participation in sacred ordinances.

In Kievan Rus Christian religion appeared a thousand years after the arrival of Christ the Savior. The wise princess Olga became the first ruler who was baptized in Constantinople (in the then Byzantine Constantinople). Her godfather was Caesar Constantine. After this event Princess Olga begged her son Svyatoslav also to receive baptism, but he neglected her advice, fearing that his soldiers would laugh. For this he paid with his own head. When the experienced commander Svyatoslav fell in battle, from his skull the Khan of Pechenezh made a cup of wine framed by gold and drank from it for his victory.

Baptism of Russia

Kievan Rus was increasingly drowned in fragmentation and internecine wars. Then the grandson of Olga, Vladimir, understanding the inability of the pagan faith to unite the principalities and tribes, wished to adopt a religious belief that could do this. In 986 he met with Bulgarian Muslims, but their laws did not like him very much. Then came the German Catholics, and the Russian fathers did not accept their religion either. The queue also reached the Khazar Jews, but their religion did not suit the Russian prince. And then one day a Greek philosopher came to see him, with whom the prince communicated for several days. All this time, the guest told him the essence of Holy Scripture 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 sight, and Greek envoys were sent to him, who advised him to get baptized as soon as possible, otherwise he would completely go blind. When Prince Vladimir was baptized, he immediately received his sight and exclaimed: "I knew the God of the True!" After a while he gathered all the people of Kiev along the Dnieper River, and there they all received baptism, after which Vladimir asked God for help, So that he could give all these people the opportunity to know and strengthen the true Christian Orthodox faith in them.

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 in the Chernivtsi region. As well as all children, he went to secondary school, then graduated from the Chernivtsi technical school. In 1966, Orest entered the University of Chernivtsi, but after the third year he went to study at the Theological Seminary, and then to the Spiritual Academy of Moscow, where he graduated in 1988 as a candidate of theology.

He tonsured monks

The young Orestes prepared himself for monastic vows and therefore for 18 years was obedient in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where he had his duties. In the spring of 1971, he took monastic vows, and was christened Onufriy in honor of the holy Monk Onufry. In the same year he was ordained a hierodeacon, then a priest of a priest. Then, in 1980, he was already hegumen, and in 1984 he became rector of the Moscow Athos metochion of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Lukin (Peredelkino). In 1985 he received the post of Dean, and a year later he was elevated to the rank of supreme monastic order - archimandrite.

The way from the novice to Metropolitan of Kiev

Since 1988 from 1990, Archimandrite Onufriy was the governor of Pochaev Lavra. After some time, the Synod of the UOC appointed him Bishop of Chernivtsi and Bukovina.

For refusing to sign the appeal of the Bishops' Council of the UOC to the Moscow Patriarch Alexy II in 1992, which referred to the provision of the UOC Autocephaly, Metropolitan Filaret (Denisenko) transferred Bishop Onufry to Ivano-Frankivsk. But after a while the disgraced priest was nevertheless restored at the Chernivtsi department.

However, later, the whole composition of the Bishops' Council of the UOC, in which Father Onuphrius was also present, expressed distrust to Metropolitan Filaret, who was immediately fired from the Kiev Department and was forbidden to perform the services.

In 1994, the future metropolitan of Kiev was elevated to the rank of archbishop and he received permanent membership in the Holy Synod. In 2000, he was ordained to the rank of Metropolitan, and then he served as Chairman of the Canonical Commission of the Holy Synod and Chairman of the Church Court of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). The priest Onuphrius was also a member of the All-Church Court of the Russian Orthodox Church, where he was also chairman. Since 2009, Metropolitan Onuphrius was part of the Inter-Sobornoye Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Honorary titles and dignities of the blessed Metropolitan Onuphrius were many, all of them can not even enumerate. But still the main event in his life was the election of the UOC primate, Metropolitan of Kiev, approved by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the UOC. In the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the solemn enthronement took place at the Divine Liturgy of August 17, 2014.

Church awards and works

In 1973, Metropolitan Onuphrius received the pectoral cross as the highest award. In 2013 he was awarded the right to wear a second Panagia. He was awarded the Order of St. Innocent of Moscow and Kolomna II degree and the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh I degree, which was solemnly presented to him in 2014. In the summer of 2013, Metropolitan Onufriy received the Order of Friendship of Peoples from the Russian Federation for his enormous 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 Onufry (Berezovsky) when he was called Bishop of Chernivtsi and Bukovina" and Akathist Boyana icon of the Mother of God.