Metropolitan Arseny calls on believers to hold on to Mother Church

The hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the abbot of the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra, Metropolitan Arseniy, who is under investigation in a pre-trial detention center, called on believers to hold on to the Mother Church and courageously endure all trials. The hierarch gave this comment to journalists of the Orthodox Life publication.

“The Holy Fathers say that we do not save the Church, but She saves us, and we just need to hold on to the Mother Church, because She is the mysterious but real Body of Christ. We need to preserve both Her dogmas and canon law, but the most important thing is to preserve ourselves from sin, which leads us away from the Church, and if we are outside the Church, then what good are we? All our efforts will not have full effect, because we will be deprived of the Power of God, that is, grace. Try to participate in the Sacraments of the Holy Mother Church, especially Confession and Holy Communion, and God will be your Helper. God bless you! God’s help to all who work for the good! I am a sinner, if I have something good in your eyes, it is all due to the fact that I was and am a part of the Church of Christ, which made me a bishop and, by the action of God, invested in a good attitude towards me from good people,” — the Metropolitan said.

As reported, on November 6, 2024, the Dnipro Court of Appeal held a hearing in the case of the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the abbot of the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra, Metropolitan Arseny (Yakovenko). The court considered the appeals of the defense of Metropolitan Arseniy against the decision of the Sloviansk City District Court of October 8. This decision extended the detention of Bishop Arseniy from October 13 for another 2 months.