Under the arches of the Resurrection Cathedral in Khanty-Mansiysk, English is now spoken along with the usual Church-Slavonic language during the divine service. It is here that the newly ordained priests of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, Father Moses Kahilig and Father Roman Buniel, who have recently been ordained as priests, take place.
Both Filipinos came to Orthodoxy after spending some time in one of the local Protestant churches. In 2015, both future clergymen received holy baptism, and three years later they were ordained deacons. In their homeland, they helped to create Orthodox communities and bore the obedience of missionaries on the island of Miandao, as well as in the cities of Kiamba and Arakan. Both young Filipinos consider the recent ordination to a priest to be the most important event in their lives. Very soon they will have to return home to bring the light of Orthodoxy to their compatriots.
The administration of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese is entrusted as an additional obedience to the Metropolitan of Khanty-Mansi and Surgut Pavel, with the name 'Manila and Hanoi'. The ruling bishop has already met the new flock; now the painstaking work of training local priestly personnel and the construction of Orthodox churches lies ahead. The first step in this direction has already been taken.
“I am so glad that the Holy Synod appointed Metropolitan Paul the bishop of our diocese. Upon returning home, I will go to every baptized Orthodox church in the Philippines, who very rarely go to church, ”Priest Moses Kahilig said in his interview to the Ugra TV channel.
