Priest Vasily Kovtash repented for having joined a schismatic group and returned to the fold of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Father Vasily Kovtash, a former cleric of the Chernivtsi Diocese of the UOC who had previously joined a schismatic group, publicly repented of his decision to join the OCU and announced his return to the fold of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The clergyman offered an official apology to the Primate of the UOC, Metropolitan Onufry, and to Metropolitan Meletios of Chernivtsi and Bukovina.

In his statement, published on social media, Father Vasily acknowledged that he had made a “serious mistake” at the time by leaving the structure where he had begun his spiritual journey. He expressed deep regret over his past statements in the media and on social media, noting that his harsh accusations against his fellow believers had sown discord and enmity among Orthodox Christians.

“I understand that true repentance is not limited to fine words. Its sincerity must be confirmed by one’s future conduct, humility, obedience to the Church, and concrete actions,” the priest emphasized, asking his flock and the clergy for the opportunity to atone for his guilt. After offering his repentance, the penalties previously imposed on Father Vasily were lifted, and his right to celebrate divine services was restored.

As a reminder, we previously reported that Archpriest Vladimir Litvenchuk, a cleric of the Volyn Diocese of the UOC who had been suspended from the priesthood in May 2022 for deviating toward schism, had repented. He was reinstated in the UOC as rector of the stauropegial parish in the city of Lutsk.