OCA takes strong stand for canonical Orthodoxy
( Orthochristian.com ) - The primate of the Orthodox Church in America, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of Washington and All America and Canada, will concelebrate with the primate of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, in western Ukraine later this week. The Ukrainian Orthodox Diocese of Chernivtsi and Bukovina “awaits the visit of the primate of the Orthodox Church in America on June 1–2, 2024. Solemn services will be held in the Cathedral of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Chernivtsi, with the participation of both primates.” The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America formally rejects communion with the schismatics of the “Orthodox Church in Ukraine,” recognizing only the canonical UOC under Met. Onuphry. The Ukrainian primate was the honored guest at the OCA’s 18th All-American Council in July 2015.
Thank you for posting this beautiful work. It is a particularly interesting painting in that it appears to show a historic church that is in the process of being restored to worship. I saw many churches like this when I travelled to Russia 10 years ago - the structure of the building has been restored (very likely by the government), and it has just recently been handed over to the Church. Thus the iconostasis is a temporary structure and there are a few moveable icons and furnishings, but no frescoes. I also notice that the service is taking place at the south side chapel, not the central altar. Perhaps this small corner of the building is all that has been made ready for worship so far, and restoration of the main altar awaits more funds or more worshippers. It is a poignant vignette showing a condition so typical of Orthodoxy in recent years. The painter has chosen to show the church flooded with light as a metaphor for the restoration of worship.
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