A new edition of Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv and All Ukraine's Words, Messages, Answers has been published in Bulgaria

With the blessing of Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovchansk, a new publication of the Lovchansk Diocese – the collection “Words, Messages, Answers” by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kyiv and All Ukraine – has been published in Bulgaria. As Predanie.bg reports, the book includes sermons, talks and answers to questions covering a wide range of topics related to the spiritual life of an Orthodox Christian, dogmatic and canonical theology, the church schism in Ukraine and the problems of our time.

In the preface to the edition, Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovchansk notes that this book is “the fruit of spiritual wisdom and pastoral sensitivity”. It contains questions from the living life of a believer – about prayer, fasting, confession, spiritual guidance, holy sacraments, suffering, war, love and repentance. Metropolitan Onuphrius’ answers are presented not as dry definitions, but as life-giving words that bring peace, sobering and quiet joy.

Metropolitan Onuphrius is described not simply as the Primate of the Local Church, but as a living embodiment of the spirit of Holy Orthodoxy. From a young age, a monk raised in the spirit of St. Anthony and Theodosius of Kiev-Pechersk, he carries in himself the silence of the cell, the depth of ancient asceticism and the light of a God-enlightened mind. His word, despite its brevity, remains alive and penetrating, devoid of ornamentation, but full of grace.

In our time of spiritual turmoil, ideological misconceptions and moral instability, this book acts as a quiet but clear voice of a shepherd who knows the way to salvation and shows it with simplicity, wisdom and fatherly care. The answers found in its pages are the expression of a deep theological experience gained through prayer, suffering, and personal endeavor. They do not condemn or moralize, but heal, like the words of a good doctor pointing to a diagnosis and offering a cure.

Metropolitan Onuphrius’ personality was especially vivid during the years of trials for the Church in Ukraine. In times of persecution, humiliation and injustice, when churches were taken away and clergy were abused, he remained steadfast. With his silent strength and prayerful determination, he countered hatred with love and forgiveness. The heaviness of the cross borne by Metropolitan Onuphrius is emphasized by the fact that he was deprived of Ukrainian citizenship, which made him legally powerless. Many admirers of his exploits see him as a confessor of the Orthodox faith, repeating the fate of St. Patriarch Tikhon, whose name is now remembered with reverence.

The publication of this book in Bulgarian is a sign of the spiritual bond between the brotherly Orthodox peoples who, despite the storms of history, continue to breathe with one liturgical heart. In the person of Metropolitan Onufry, Bulgaria finds not only a wise bishop, but also a brother, a prayer leader and a compassionate father. It is expected that the book will serve as a guide for all who seek the truth with a pure heart, and as a spiritual consolation for those who are in the shadow of tribulation, leading to unity with Christ in His holy, sobor and apostolic Church.

Recall, earlier Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria commented on the situation around the Ukrainian Church conflict and the topic of the establishment of the PCU, pointing to the presence of “significant canonical obstacles” to its recognition. According to him, the majority of local Orthodox churches have not recognized this structure, and the church issue in Ukraine is closely linked to geopolitical conflicts.