His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev and All Ukraine has again been recognized as the most influential spiritual leader in Ukraine. In the rating of TOP-100 people and phenomena, prepared by the Vesti media holding at the end of 2021, experts put the name of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 15th place, leaving far behind other religious leaders, Pravlife writes.

“The modest and ascetic Metropolitan is an example worthy of imitation: having withstood the crisis years 2018-2019 under his auspices, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has become steeled and retained its strength of spirit. Moreover, the process is in some way even reversed: among the communities that moved to the newly created OCU in 2018, there are already those who are ready to return back to the UOC, “the compilers of the rating note.

Now, Vesti emphasizes, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is looking for ways to resolve the church division that has arisen in the Orthodox world due to the “Ukrainian question”. To this end, she “intends to initiate the beginning of an interchurch dialogue – right up to the convocation of a new Pan-Orthodox Council.”

Experts assigned the following positions to other religious leaders of Ukraine who got into the TOP-100: the Supreme Archbishop of Kiev-Galician Svyatoslav (UGCC) took 58th place, the Chief Rabbi of Kiev and Ukraine Moshe Reuven Asman – 62nd, the head of the schismatic OCU “Metropolitan” Epiphanius – 63rd.

Let us remind you that the rating “TOP-100 of the most influential people and phenomena in Ukraine” by the Vesti media holding is for the third year in a row based on the results of voting by experts in various fields. The main selection criteria are the level of independence, resources and connections, contribution to the chosen field and achievements, influence on decision-making, the ability and ability to accumulate supporters around oneself, media coverage.

In 2019, in the list of the most influential Ukrainians, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry took 17th place, in 2020 – 16th.

In 2021, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, head of the affairs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was included in the TOP-100 of people and phenomena for the first time. In the list of influential Ukrainians, the bishop took 56th place.