Bishop Victor: Every believer should have an active church position

Bishop Victor (Kotsaba). Photo: facebook.com/V.D.Kotsaba

Every believer should have an active church position. The vicar of the Kyiv Metropolis, Bishop Victor (Kotsaba) of Baryshevka, said this in a sermon on the feast of the 12 apostles in the Alexander Nevsky stauropegic convent of the UOC in the village of Gorodno, Volyn region. The video of the sermon was published on the hierarch's Fb page.

“Every person is called to have an active church position,” said Bishop Victor. “And we know that in different periods of our Church, believers united in order to protect and preserve the purity of faith. We remember that on the border of the XVI-XVII centuries, Orthodox brotherhoods were organized on our lands, which defended the purity of our faith and passed it on to future generations."

He reminded that similar times have been recorded in our history has recorded, and today believers are also uniting in defense of their Church, which is going through difficult times.

“Today we know that in this difficult time, when our Church is facing trials, people unite to make our voice stronger and testify that we are many. We believe in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, we preserve the apostolic succession, we join the apostolic ministry and try to be faithful children of the Church of Christ, so that the Logos reaches all corners of our earth.

This responsibility and awareness of our participation in church life should permeate us, Orthodox Christians, because this is our vocation. We cannot just watch and stand aside, we must be active in manifesting our faith, our hope and our belief in the mercy of God because Christ and His Holy Church teach us this way,” Bishop Victor of Baryshevka emphasized.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that a large-scale project "Miriane" has appeared in Ukraine, which calls on the believers of the UOC to stop being a silent and invisible majority and take an active position – for the faith, traditional values and the Church. More and more active Orthodox Ukrainians, who are concerned about the fate of their Church and the future of their country, are joining the “Miriane” organization.

Read also

In Ukraine, Trump’s 'spiritual advisor' reassured of religious freedom

Pastor Mark Burns stated that Ukraine, despite the war, is a "beacon of religious freedom."

Lavra brethren congratulate Metropolitan Pavel on 31 years as abbot

The monks of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra have expressed hope that they will soon be able to pray again with their abbot.

Amsterdam: Intrusion into Lavra Caves – a return to Soviet-era persecution

International lawyer Robert Amsterdam has condemned the actions of Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture regarding the inspection of holy relics in the Caves of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, calling it a violation of religious freedom.

Over 20 EU states condemn Hungary for ban on LGBT propaganda among children

“This restricts the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression,” diplomats state in a joint declaration.

His Beatitude officiates consecration of Bishop of Rakhiv

At the Church of St. Agapitus in the Lavra, the Primate of the UOC ordained a vicar for the Khust Eparchy.

Met Victor: It is painful to see Lavra's relics turned into test subjects

According to the bishop, there is particular concern over how members of the scientific commission will handle the holy relics.