'Returning home': UOC priest who diverted to schism back in 2017 has repented

Former priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Andriy Shymanovich, who transferred to the UOC-KP back in July 2017, decided to return to the UOC. He was prompted to do so by the “difficult experience” of being in the structure of the UOCU and “deep rational reflections.” One of the reasons why Shymanovich returned to the UOC is, according to him, “personal insults, humiliation, waving of hands, threats of physical violence”. About this he wrote on his page in the social network Facebook.

“I inform you that I, after, to put it mildly, quite difficult experience, deep rational reflections on the current events and long prayers decided that as an intellectually honest and believing person, for whom such concepts as grace, morality, justice, humanity, theological tradition, salvation are not an empty sound, I must at this moment to gain independence from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, with all sincere gratitude to some of its representatives, to whom I treat with sincere and unwavering respect», — wrote the priest.

Recall, earlier we reported that the cleric of the Volyn diocese of the UOC Archpriest Volodymyr Litvenchuk, previously banned from the priesthood in May 2022 for evasion into schism, has brought repentance. He was restored to the UOC as rector of the stavropegial parish of Lutsk.