During the month of full-scale russian aggression against Ukraine, 28 communities officially joined the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) after leaving the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The OCU press service informs that in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytsky, Zakarpattia, Ternopil, Rivne, Volyn, Kyiv, and Cherkasy regions, parishes have changed their jurisdiction in favor of the OCU. In particular, the communities of two monasteries in Lviv region joined the local church [under the OCU].
“It is time to make a choice, with conscience and heart: are you on the side of the aggressor, the ruthless murderer of civilians, or on the side of your homeland, its people, its Church? Do not be helpers of the ‘russian world,’ silent allies of russia. Act in a Christian way, on your God-given land, be with your people, pray for our defenders,” the OCU addresses the faithful people, who now belong to the Moscow Patriarchate.
Recently, the Synod of the OCU approved the rules for the adoption of parishes and called for the communities of the Church under the Moscow Patriarchate to join the canonical union [with the OCU].
Based on the results of the survey, more than half of the parishioners of the Church of the Moscow Patriarchate support the increase of the connection with the OCU; 42% reject the possibility of restoring friendly relations of Ukrainians and Russians entirely.