"It is a pity that he did not repent": UOC Primate comments on death of former Metropolitan Filaret Denisenko

The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, spoke about the significance of the figure of former Metropolitan Filaret Denisenko in the history of the Church after his death. In his statement, he noted that the church schism he caused continues to be a difficult test for the country’s believers.

According to the official press service of the UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy emphasized that many representatives of the Church prayed until the last moment and hoped for the repentance of the former Metropolitan. «Unfortunately, this did not happen. The schism caused by former Metropolitan Filaret remains a bleeding wound in the church life of Ukraine to this day,» stated the Primate.

Given the complex historical context and the consequences of the deceased’s activities, Metropolitan Onufriy called for the transfer of his soul to the hands of God’s mercy, emphasizing that now, after his departure to eternity, the judgment over him belongs to the Lord.