Primate of UOC congratulates Ukrainians on Statehood Day

On July 28, 2022, the feast day of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir and the Baptism of Rus, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Onuphry in his sermon recalled that on that day Ukraine celebrates the Day of Ukrainian Statehood. The sermon of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church can be found on the YouTube channel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

According to the Archpastor, Prince Vladimir founded the great power – Kievan Rus, whose successor is Ukraine, and urged to pray to the holy Baptizer for the native land.

"Today, when the Holy Church prayerfully commemorates and celebrates the memory of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, we also celebrate Statehood Day, because Prince Vladimir founded the great power that was called Kievan Rus. Today the successor of this Rus is Ukraine," said the Archbishop.

His Beatitude stressed that we "pray to St Prince Vladimir to bless our land, to bless our people, to stop with his prayers the bloodshed that is in our land, to great regret and to great sorrow."

"But we believe and hope that through the prayers of St. Prince Vladimir the Lord will stop this killing of each other and peace will reign in our land," said His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry.

As reported, in his sermon on the Day of the Baptism of Rus’, His Beatitude called on every believer to improve their virtues in order to make all humankind better.

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