Background
He was born 5 November 1944 in Chernivtsi Oblast as the son of a priest.
He was born 5 November 1944 in Chernivtsi Oblast as the son of a priest.
In 1961 he graduated from high school. From 1962 to 1964 he studied at the Chernivtsi technical school, after which he worked in construction organizations in Chernivtsi.
In 1966, he joined the technical faculty of the Chernivtsi University, and in 1969, after the third year, entered in the second class of the Moscow Theological Seminary. The following year, he became part of the brotherhood of the Trinity Sergius Laura. March 18, 1971 he was tonsured a monk with name Onufriy, in honor of Saint Onuphrius the Great.
June 20, 1971 he was ordained a hierodeacon.
May 29, 1972 ordained a hieromonk. After 18 years, Archimandrite Onufriy went back to the Ukraine as the superior of the Pochayiv Lavra of the Holy Assumption.
Two years later, he became Bishop of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna, serving this diocese for 23 years. In 1988 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy as a candidate in theology.
On July 20, 1988, he was appointed Father-Superior of the Dormition Pochayiv Lavra.
On December 9, 1990, he was consecrated Bishop of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna at the Street Volodymyr"s Cathedral in Kiev. April 7, 1992 was restored by the Diocese of Chernivtsi. November 22, 2000 was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan.
November 23, 2013 by Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Vladimir he was awarded the right to wear the second Panagia.
Metropolitan Onufriy has referred to Ukraine"s aspirations to join the European Union as a "tragedy".
Metropolitan Onufriy has referred to Ukraine"s aspirations to join the European Union as a "tragedy".
Onufriy refused to stand up when the Ukrainian parliament honoured the Ukrainian fighters of the War in Donbass (against pro-Russian separatists). In August 2014 Onufriy stated that there were no priests in his church who supported separatism. His church usually abstained from commenting on the 2014-2015 Russian military intervention in Ukraine.