There have been many events in 30 years, the Lord helped everything to swim across and stay alive, noted the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

On the day of the 30th anniversary of the episcopal consecration, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine said that he hadn’t dreamed of being a bishop, «but God gave it to him». The words of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are reported by the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

Addressing the oldest member of the Holy Synod, Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail, who on behalf of the episcopate, clergy and flock congratulated the Archpastor on this significant anniversary, His Beatitude Vladyka said: «I sincerely thank you, dear Vladyka, Metropolitan Agafangel, for your kind words! You, as always, a person filled with Divine love, endow me with virtues that, unfortunately, I don’t find and don’t see in myself, but I consider this for myself a program for the future. Although I also don’t strongly believe that I will do it in the future, I only hope for your prayers».

«I sincerely thank you, dear vladykas, dear fathers, brothers and sisters, for coming today. This is a good day for me», – continued His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry. – «If I say that I didn’t want to be a priest and bishop, I’ll tell a lie. I wanted to be a priest, I wanted to serve at the Throne of God. Of course, I didn’t dream of being a bishop, but God gave me so – I don’t know why, obviously, not for my merits – that I was ordained to the rank of bishop».

According to the Primate, 30 years of his episcopal service flew by like one day, like a moment. «There were many events, this period was full of various church and social problems, moods, but – I don’t even know how – the Lord helped everything to swim across and stay alive».

As the Archpastor noted, deep considerations on this matter could hardly be useful. «And we – and this is not only me, but all of us – keep the purity of faith, the purity of the church structure. We threw ourselves into the sea – you will swim out or not, you will survive or not – and, thank God, not one perished, but everyone crossed this sea and, thank God, the Lord brought us to this day».

In conclusion, the Primate thanked the bishops, clergy and laity for their prayers. «I don’t want to talk about merit, because there is none. And if there was something good, then it belongs more to you, your prayers, your works, your faith, your patience, than mine. However, I thank God that you have come today and prayed for me, a sinner, and I ask you not to leave me in your prayers in the future, so that the Lord will help guide your steps in the paths of Christ’s commandments. Because this is the only path that a person must pass, and which a person will walk to God for salvation. May the Lord bless us all!».