To His Eminence ONOUPHRY
Metropolitan of Chernovitsy and Bukovino,
Locum Tenens of the Metropoliate of Kiev
Your Eminence, Dear Vladyka Onouphry:
We send our heartfelt greetings on your namesday!
In these difficult days for Kievan Rus, you became the locum tenens of the Kievan Metropoliate by Divine Providence. A heavy burden has been placed upon your shoulders. Only by relying on the Lord can this cross be borne, which is placed upon every Christian living in Ukraine today.
It is with great sorrow that we observe the events in the country which was an historical cradle of Russian Orthodoxy, and we lift up our prayers daily in our churches and monasteries for the cessation of the conflict and for the peace of those in enmity, and we commemorate all those who laid down their lives for their neighbors.
Allow us to wish you on the feast day of your heavenly intercessor: “ to fight the good fight, to complete the course of the fast, to preserve inviolate the faith, to crush under foot the heads of invisible serpents, to be accounted victors over sin.”
We ask that Your Eminence accept the earnest congratulatory message on your namesday from the entire Council of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad, and many good years of service to the benefit of the Church of Christ!
+HILARION,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
+Metropolitan Hilarion
Members of the Council of Bishops
