Athonites ask pilgrims from Ukraine to confirm their affiliation with UOC
Mount Athos: Photo: Grekomania.ru
The UOJ publishes a circular of the Kiev Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, according to which all pilgrims from Ukraine who are going to Holy Mount Athos will have to carry with them, besides the usual documents on such trips (passport and diamonitirion), also a certificate that testifies to their affiliation with the canonical church.
As stated in the document that was sent to each eparchial bishop of the UOC, this initiative comes from the monks of the Holy Mountain:
“The Office of the Kiev Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church brings to your attention the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, according to which, in response to the request of the abbots of Holy Mount Athos, the clerics, monks, and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church who will go on a pilgrimage to Holy Mount Athos are required to have a certificate of their affiliation with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The certificate indicating the period of stay must be made on the letterhead of the eparchial administration, signed by the eparchial bishop and sealed.”
As reported earlier, the inhabitants of several sketes of Athos appealed to the Kinot of the Holy Mount with a request to ban Ukrainian schismatics from entering the territory of the Holy Mount Athos.
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