KIEV: August 17, 2014
Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany Participates in the Enthronement of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine

On August 17, 2014, during Divine Liturgy at Dormition Kievo-Pechersky Lavra in Kiev, Ukraine, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry was enthroned as Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, having been previously elected by the Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The service attracted an enormous number of worshipers to the churchyard in front of Dormition Cathedral, including the representative of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, His Eminence Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk and representatives of other Local Orthodox Churches: His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France of the Constantinople Patriarchate; His Eminence Metropolitan Athanasios of Cyrene of the Antiochian Orthodox Church; His Eminence Metropolitan Timothy of Botsra of the Jerusalem Patriarchate; His Eminence Metropolitan Sergius of Nekresi and His Eminence Metropolitan Grigori of Poti and Khobi of the Georgian Orthodox Church; His Grace Bishop Anthony of Moravia of the Serbian Orthodox Church; His Eminence Metropolitan Nifon of Targoviste of the Romanian Orthodox Church; His Eminence Metropolitan Naum of Rousse; His Grace Bishop Procopius of Christianopolis of the Greek Orthodox Church; His Eminence Archbishop Avel of Lublin and Kholm of the Polish Orthodox Church; Archimandrite Seraphim (Sematovski) of the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia; His Grace Bishop Michael of New York and New Jersey and His Grace Bishop Irineos of Quebec; His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and bishops and clergymen of the UOC.

During the minor entrance, the eldest member of the Holy Synod of the UAC (by seniority of consecration), His Eminence Metropolitan Agathangel of Odessa and Izmailovo, read the decision of the Council of Bishops of the UOC on the election of Metropolitan Onouphry of Chernovitsa and Bukovino as the Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine; while Metropolitan Ilarion, who is the President of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate read a decree of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia granting blessing to Vladyka Onouphry to become the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

After the singing of the Trisagion, Metropolitan Agathangel and His Eminence Metropolitan Lazarus of Simferopol and Crimea thrice seated Metropolitan Onouphry on the throne in the altar.

After the service, Metropolitan Agathangel congratulated Metropolitan Onouphry on behalf of the episcopacy, clergy and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on his election to the cathedra of the Metropolitanate of Kiev, and gave him the staff which belonged to his predecessor, His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir.

Metropolitan Ilarion then read the greeting from Patriarch Kirill, and gave him a gift of an episcopal staff.

Afterwards, congratulatory messages were read from the Primates of other Local Orthodox Christian Churches.

Press Service of the DECR/Patriarchia.ru