The Cherkasy Diocese of the OCU has published a book about a hierarch of the UOC

The Cherkasy Diocese of the OCU continues to appropriate not only real estate, but also the history of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the region. This time, representatives of the regional branch of the Ukrainian schism published a book about the hierarch of the UOC, the former Metropolitan Sofroniy of Cherkasy and Kaniv, who passed away in 2020. The Cherkasy Diocese of the OCU called Metropolitan Sofroniy a “great Ukrainian patriot,” despite the fact that until the last day of his life, the hierarch criticized the creation of the OCU, refusing to leave the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and deviate into schism. This was reported by the regional publication Procherk.

«Since the main brainchild of the late Vladyka Sofroniy — the majestic St. Michael’s Cathedral Garrison Cathedral — passed to the OCU, his name has been reverently mentioned at the Great Entrance during every Divine Liturgy that takes place in this temple. There are plans to open a museum here that will immortalize the rich architectural, spiritual, and theological heritage of this outstanding bishop and tell the story of his life. […] The story is accompanied by numerous photographs from the archives of the Cherkasy Diocese from the time of Metropolitan Sofroniy, and continues with a photo chronicle from more recent history, when most of the churches built according to the ideas and prayers of Vladyka Sofroniy transferred to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The words of Cherkasy Mayor Anatoly Bondarenko, who was closely acquainted with Vladyka Sofroniy and responded to his request, sound touching in the album,» — the commentary to the book notes.

It is worth noting that the late Metropolitan Sofroniy, whom the Cherkasy diocese of the OCU is trying so hard to “appropriate,” in 2018 spoke out categorically against the Tomos from the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the creation of the OCU as such.

«They made (the church) completely dependent on the Greeks. Am I going to go to the Greeks for peace? Do you know how much that will cost? That is, I will ask the Greeks what to do in Ukraine?! Excuse me. The way I see it, if it’s autocephaly, then the Church should be independent, just like all autocephalous churches,» — the metropolitan said.