Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine: Difference between revisions
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The granting ot autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is an ongoing event which started when the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to grant autocephaly to Ukraine in 2018. This decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate led to the break of communion by the Russian Orthodox Church with the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Deterioration of Moscow–Constantinople relations
The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople claims to be the foremost leader and international representative of the Eastern Orthodox Church.[1] The church is geographically divided into several largely independent local churches, each with its own leader (Patriarch, Archbishop, or Metropolitan).
Shortly after Ukraine gained its independence, some of its presidents have tried to ask the Ecumenical Patriarchate to give Ukraine a church distinct from the Moscow Patriarchate.[2]
Three Orthodox churches in Ukraine
Since the end of the 20th century, three Orthodox jurisdictions have existed in Ukraine.
- The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) (UOC-MP) which is part of the Russian Orthodox Church and thus under the Moscow Patriarchate. This church was, until 11 October 2018, the only Orthodox church in Ukraine recognized by other Orthodox churches.
- The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC), led by Metropolitan Makariy, which was independent, having been founded in 1921 following the establishment of the short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic and having survived the Soviet Union both outside and inside the country.
- The Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kiev Patriarchate (UOC-KP), led by the "self-proclaimed Patriarch Filaret of Kyiv",[3] an independent church which was founded in July 1992. In January 1992, after Ukraine gained its independence from the Soviet Union following its dissolution, Metropolitan of Kiev Filaret of the UOC-MP[4] convened an assembly at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra that adopted a request for autocephaly to the Moscow Patriarch.[5][6] The Patriarchate of Moscow did not comply and asked Filaret to resign.[5][7] Filaret did not resign and was suspended on 27 May 1992 by the UOC-MP.[8][7] The bishops loyal to Metropolitan Filaret and a similar group from the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church organized a unifying synod which was held on 25–26 June 1992. The delegates agreed to form a combined church named the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate under a patriarch they elected, Patriarch Mstyslav.[8][9] Filaret was defrocked on 11 July 1992 by the Russian Orthodox Church. Filaret was then anathemized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1997.[10][7]
The UAOC and the UOC-KP were not recognized by other Orthodox churches and were considered schismatic. ROC officials stated, that the anathematization of Filaret was "recognized by all the Local Orthodox Churches including the Church of Constantinople"[11][12][5][6] On 11 October 2018, the excommunications of the UAOC and the UOC-KP were lifted,[13] however the Ecumenical Patriarchate did not recognize neither the UAOC nor the UOC-KP as legitimate and their leaders were not recognized as primates of their respective churches.[14][15] As of 2018[update], all three churches - the UAOC, the UOC-KP and the UOC-MP - are still active in the country; the UOC-MP has 12,064 active parishes, the UOC-KP — 4,807, and UAOC — 1,048.[16]
Ecumenical Patriarchate and the ecclesiastical situation in Ukraine
In April 2014, the Ecumenical Patriarch talked about the ecclesiastical problems in Ukraine during his Palm Sunday sermon and said "[t]he Ecumenical Patriarchate recognizes the difficult challenges facing the blessed Ukrainian people today".[17][18][19] In February 2015, the Primate of the Canadian Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Yuri (Kalishchuk), during a round table in the Ukrinform agency,[20] declared that "[t]he Patriarchy [of Constantinople] is watching the situation in Ukraine and considers the ideal solution to get the unified Orthodoxy" and "will work on uniting Orthodoxy in Ukraine". He added that the "Constantinople Patriarchate is waiting for the request and guidance from the Ukrainian Orthodox jurisdictions here, but first of all it is waiting for astep from the President of Ukraine".[21][22]
On 6 June 2015, the UAOC requested to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to receive "[the] Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church to the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a metropoliswith [sic, should be "a metropolis with"] the rights of self-governance".[23] On 24 June, "the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), held on 24 June in Kyiv [Kiev]" issued a statement about the presence "of two bishops of the Constantinople Patriarchate in Ukraine [Bishop Daniel of Pamphilon and Bishop Ilarion] and their meeting with Ukrainian clergy". "Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) "expressed concern" about [Bishop Daniel of Pamphilon and Bishop Ilarion's] activities in the "canonical territory" of the UOC (MP) without consent of the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)."[24] On 27 June, the UOC-KP, after its Holy Synod the same day, decided to plan to ask the Ecumenical Patriarch to recognize its autocephalous status.[25]
On 2 February 2016, the Patriarch of Moscow officially declared that "it is important that there is already a common understanding of the need for consensus among all the Churches, excluding any unilateral actions in granting autocephaly."[26] The same day he warned that "the unilateral recognition of the schism [in Ukraine] will unavoidably have [catastrophic consequences] for the unity of the Orthodox Church[.]"; on this occasion, the Ecumenical Patriarch declared: "We all recognize that Metropolitan Onufry is the only canonical head of Orthodoxy in Ukraine."[27]
In June 2016, the 2016 Pan-Orthodox Council was held in Crete. However, a few days before it began, the Russian Orthodox Church refused to participate. Previously the Orthodox churches of Georgia, Bulgaria, and Antioch had also refused to participate. One of the issues cited was the method of proclaiming the autonomy of the Orthodox churches. On 16 June, Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, asked Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople for autocephaly for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and thus independence from the Russian Orthodox Church. On 11 June, before the adoption of the resolution by the Rada, the Moscow Patriarchate sharply criticized the appeal of the deputies.[28] However, the council in Crete did not consider and did not officially comment on the Ukrainian question.[29][30]
On 15 December 2017, Filaret in Kiev met with personal representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople: Bishop Daniel (UOC of USA) and Bishop Hilarion (UOC of Canada) and discussed with them issues "of mutual interest".[31][32]
Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine
This section contains too many quotations. (November 2018) |
June 2016 request of autocephaly
On 16 June 2016, the Ukrainian parliament successfully voted a resolution to appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch to: "to recognize invalid the act in 1686 as the one adopted in violation of the sacred canons of the Orthodox Church", "to take an active part in overcoming the church schism by convening Ukrainian unification council under the auspices of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which would solve all controversial issues and unite the Ukrainian Orthodox Church", and to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox church in Ukraine.[33][34][35][36][37] On the same day, the Russian Orthodox Church protested fiercely against this resolution.[38] On 19 July, the Ecumenical Patriarchate said it would create a synodal commission to "examine" the Ukrainian parliament's request to grant autocephaly to Ukraine.[39][40] On 1 August 2016, Arbishob Job of the Ecumenical Patriarchate declared in an interview given to the Religion Information Service of Ukraine that "Constantinople has always believed that the territory of Ukraine is the canonical territory of the Church of Constantinople."[41]
April 2018 request of autocephaly
On 9 April 2018, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had a meeting in Istanbul with the Ecumenical Patriarch during which Poroshenko "noted the importance of the introduction of a Single Local Orthodox Church in Ukraine aspired by the Ukrainian people."[42] At that time, an article published on the pro-Moscow anonymous website Union of Orthodox Journalists[43] declared that no relevant progress concerning the question of a local Orthodox church for Ukraine had been made.[44]
On 17 April, Ukrainian President Poroshenko met in Turkey with the Ecumenical Patriarch and made an appeal supported by
various Ukrainian MPs[45][46][47] to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to grant autocephaly to Ukraine,[48][49][50] both parties reached an agreement after a 7-hours long negotiation;[51] said appeal was later published on the official website of the president of Ukraine.[45] The UOC-KP and the UAOC also sent a similar appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in what Poroshenko described as "a rare united move of the two churches [the UOC-KP and the UAOC]".[51][52] On 18 April, the draft resolution on the support of Poroshenko's appeal was submitted to the Ukrainian parliament, and on 19 April it was adopted.[53][54] The text of the appeal of the Ukrainian parliament was longer and contained more arguments in favor of Ukraine's autocephaly compared Poroshenko's appeal.[55] On 20 April, the official request to issue a Tomos of Autocephaly was delivered to Ecumenical Patriarchate.[56] On the same day, 20 April, the synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate "voted to proceed with taking the necessary steps for granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Christians of Ukraine."[57] On 22 April, the Ecumenical Patriarchate issued an official communiqué declaring that the synod had "examined matters pertaining to the ecclesiastical situation in Ukraine, as done in previous synodal sessions, and having received from ecclesiastical and civil authorities [...] a petition that requests the bestowal of autocephaly, decided to closely communicate and coordinate with its sister Orthodox Churches concerning this matter."[58][59] The same day, President Poroshenko declard on his official Facebook page that "the Ecumenical Patriarchate had commenced the procedures necessary for granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church."[60][61]
On 23 June 2018, a delegation of the UOC-MP held talks with Patriarch Bartholomew and other Greek hierarchs.[62][63] The negotiations ended up with neither signed documents nor a joint statement.[64] The goal of these talks were, according to the UOC-MP, "for the purpose of obtaining reliable information from Patriarch Bartholomew himself regarding initiatives for the possible granting of a Tomos for Autocephaly, as well as for the purpose of communicating the position of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on this issue. The hierarchs also informed the patriarch about the current situation of church life in Ukraine."[65]
On 25 June, the UOC-MP declared it had "heard" the message of Metropolitan Onufry and the permanent members of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the meeting that took place on June 23 in Istanbul between the delegation of the UOC-MP and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and members of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Therefore the hierarchs of the UOC-MP adopted a joint statement in which they "expressed their vision for the further development of the mission of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukrainian society."[66] The statement concludes that "[t]he current canonical status is quite sufficient for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to fruitfully carry out its mission among the people of Ukraine"[67][68][69]
On 31 August 2018, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow to discuss Ukrainian autocephaly, informing him that they "are implementing already this decision" to grant autocephaly.[70]
On 1 September, in Istanbul, a Synaxis of Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne began. Patriarch Bartholomew delivered the keynote address to over 100 Hierarchs of the Throne, stating, among other things: "the origin of difficulties and reactions in Ukraine are neither a recent phenomenon nor something created by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Already from the early 14th century, when the See of the Kievan Metropolis was moved without the canonical permission of the Mother Church to Moscow, there have been tireless efforts on the part of our Kievan brothers for independence from ecclesiastical control by the Moscow center. [...] The Tome proclaiming Moscow as a Patriarchate does not include the region of today’s Metropolis of Kiev in the jurisdiction of Moscow. Moreover, [...] the canonical dependence of Kiev to the Mother Church of Constantinople remained constant and uninterrupted. [...] [S]ince Russia, as the one responsible for the current painful situation in Ukraine, is unable to solve the problem, the Ecumenical Patriarchate assumed the initiative of resolving the problem in accordance with the authority afforded to it by the Sacred Canons and the jurisdictional responsibility over the eparchy of Kiev, receiving a request to this end by the honorable Ukrainian Government, as well as recurring requests by “Patriarch” Philaret of Kiev appealing for our adjudication of his case."[71][72]
Ecumenical Patriarch's legates in Ukraine and reactions of the Russian Orthodox Church
On 7 September, the Patriarch of Constantinople announced, on the official websites of the Ecumenical Patriarch Permanent Delegation to the World Council of Churches as well as on the official website of the Ecumentical Patriarchate, that he had appointed Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon and Bishop Ilarion as his exarchs and legates in Ukraine.[73][74] Those appointments were, according to the official announcement on the official website of the Ecumentical Patriarchate, "[w]ithin the framework of the preparations for the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine"[74] Daniel of Palphlion and Ilarion had already been sent by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Ukraine in 2015 which at the time led to an official protest by the UOC-MP.[24]
The same day, the chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion, gave an interview to Russia 24 TV channel about the appointment of the two exarchs.[75] In this interview, Hilarion issued his warning that the Russian Orthodox Church will "have no other choice but to break the communion" with the Ecumenical Patriarch if autocephaly is granted to Ukraine. This interview was entirely published on the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations's official website in English the same day.[76]
On 8 September, the synod of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed its "resolute protest against and deep indignation at" the report published a day prior on the appointment of the two hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as exarchs of the Patriarchate for Kiev.[77] The same day, on a social network, Vladimir Legoyda, head of the Synodal Department for Church, Society and Media Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, commented on the topic and stated that "[t]he appointment by the Patriarch of Constantinople of his episcopal representatives in Ukraine, without agreement with the Patriarch of Moscow [...] and His Beatitude [the] Metropolitan of Kiev [...], is [...] an unprecedentedly gross incursion into the Moscow Patriarchate's canonical territory[.] [...] These actions cannot be left unanswered".[78][79] The same day, the OUC-MP published an official declaration on its website which states: "[T]he appointment of the two Exarchs is a gross violation of the canonical territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The decision made by the Constantinopolitan Patriarchate contradicts the 2nd Canon of the Second Ecumenical Council (Constantinople), namely that, without being invited, “Bishops must not leave their own diocese and go over to churches beyond its boundaries”."[80]
September 2018: Russian Orthodox synod's "retaliatory measures" and the aftermath
On 14 September 2018, in response to the appointment of those two exarchs, the Russian Orthodox Church decided to hold "an extraordinary session" to take "retaliatory measures after the appointment by the Patriarchate of Constantinople of its “exarchs” to Kiev following up the decision of this Church’s Synod “to grant autocephalous status to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.”" The synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided:[81][82]
1. To suspend the liturgical prayerful commemoration of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.
2. To suspend concelebration with hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
3. To suspend the participation of the Russian Orthodox Church in all Episcopal Assemblies, theological dialogues, multilateral commissions and other structures chaired or co-chaired by representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
4. To adopt a statement of the Holy Synod concerning the uncanonical actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine.
A statement was released the same day explaining the situation and the sanctions taken to protest against the Ecumenical Patriarch's behavior.[83][84] On the same day, Metropolitan Hilarion clarified the situation in an interview published on the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations. In the interview, Hilarion stated:[85]
"[S]uspended will be the [...] participation in all the structures chaired or co-chaired by representatives of Constantinople. [...] The suspension includes bishop’s assemblies in the countries of the so-called diaspora and the theological dialogue[.] [...] The decision of the Holy Synod to suspend the liturgical mention of the Patriarch of Constantinople’s name during the liturgy and the fact that we suspend con-celebration with hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople does not imply a full breaking-off of the Eucharistic communion. The lay people who come to Mount Athos or find themselves in churches of the Patriarchate of Constantinople can take communion in them. But we refuse to concelebrate with hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople since every time they mention the name of their Patriarch during the liturgy while we have suspended it. [...] We do not think, of course, that all this will finally shut the door for dialogue, but our today’s decision is a signal to the Patriarchate of Constantinople that if the actions of this kind continue, we will have to break the Eucharistic communion entirely. [...] [A]fter the breaking-off of the Eucharistic communion, at least a half of this 300-million-strong population will no longer recognize him as even the first among equals."
On 23 September 2018 Patriarch Bartholomew, during a mass he was celebrating in the Saint Fokas Orthodox Church "proclaimed that he had sent a message that Ukraine would receive autocephaly as soon as possible, since it is entitled to it"[86][87]
On 30 September 2018, in an interview to Izvestia daily published on the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion commented: "The Russian Church does not need to fear isolation. If Constantinople continues its anti-canonical actions, it will place itself outside the canonical space, outside the understanding of church order that distinguishes the Orthodox Church."[88]
On 2 October, Patriarch Kirill of the ROC sent a letter to all the autocephalous Orthodox churches to ask them to hold a "Pan-Orthodox discussion" concerning the question of Ukraine's autocephaly.[89][90][91][92]
On 5 October, the Metropolitan Pavel, head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church (exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church), announced the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on 15 October in Minsk. He said that "The situation with the Orthodox Church in Ukraine will be on the agenda of the meeting".[93] This meeting had been announced previously on 7 January 2018 and was at the time "most likely to take place in mid October."[94]
On 9 October, Metropolitan Hilarion, chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church warned that "if the project for Ukrainian autocephaly is carried through, it will mean a tragic and possibly irretrievable schism of the whole Orthodoxy." He added that "ignoring sacred canons shakes up the whole system of the church organism. Schismatics in other Local Churches are well aware that if autocephaly is given to the Ukrainian schismatics, it will be possible to repeat the same scenario anywhere. That is why we state that autocephaly in Ukraine will not be ‘the healing of the schism’ but its legalization and encouragement."[95]
11 October 2018 communiqué of the synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
On 11 October 2018, after a regular synod, the Patriarchate of Constantinople renewed an earlier decision to move towards granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.[96][97][16] The synod also withdrew Constantinople's 332-years-old qualified acceptance of the Russian Orthodox Church's canonical jurisdiction over the Ukrainian Church contained in a letter of 1686.[97][16] The synod also lifted the excommunication of Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kiev Patriarchate (UOC-KP) and Metropolitan Makariy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC), and both bishops were "canonically reinstated to their hierarchical or priestly rank, and their faithful [...] restored to communion with the Church."[98][13][99]
On the evening of 11 October, the day of the declaration of the Patriarch of Constantinople, Ukraine's president, Poroshenko, enthusiastically welcomed Constantinople's move,[100] which Poroshenko, prematurely and therefore erroneously, described as the granting of a Tomos of autocephaly (a formal decree of church independence) to the Ukrainian Church.[16] He presented Ukrainian Church independence as part of Ukraine's wider conflict with Russia that involves Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimea, Russia's military intervention in Ukraine, and Ukraine's desire to integrate with the West by joining the European Union and NATO (which is a perception broadly shared by both sides in the dispute).[101][102][103]
On 12 October 2018, the day after the Ecumenical Patriarch's decision, according to the Kremlin website, Russian President Vladimir Putin "held an operational meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council" (the Security Council of Russia) that "discussed issues of the domestic Russian socio-economic agenda and international issues".[104] Ukraine's Euromaidan Press described this as Putin convening "an extraordinary meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, where the “situation of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine” was "discussed", and it added that "This is a revealing slip of the tongue, since to assuage Ukrainians, the UOC MP has been insisting it is independent of Moscow and in no way the “Russian Church in Ukraine.”"[16] Similar accounts were given by Russia's Sputnik News and by the Religious Information Service of Ukraine, quoting Interfax-religion, Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov, and the Kremlin website.[105][106]
On 12 October 2018, the UOC-KP declared in a communiqué that this decision from the Ecumenical Patriarchate had restored the canonical recognition of the episcopate and clergy of the Kiev Patriarchate.[107][108] However, it was later clarified that Filaret was considered by the Ecumenical Patriarchate only as "the former metropolitan of Kiev",[109][110][111] and Makariy as "the former Archbishop of Lviv"[110][111] and, on 2 November 2018, that the Ecumenical Patriarchate did not recognize neither the UAOC nor the UOC-KP as legitimate and that their respective leaders were not recognized as primates of their churches.[14][15] The Ecumenical Patriarchate declared that it recognized the sacraments performed by the UOC-KP and the UAOC as valid.[112][113] The synod was viewed as a key step towards those two organizations merging into a single church independent from Moscow.[99] The Russian Orthodox Church is linked to 12,000 parishes in Ukraine while the Kiev Patriarchate and UAOC control about 6,000; however, it is believed that many of the Russian-controlled Ukrainian parishes may defect to the Kiev organizations.[114][115]
In an interview given to the BBC on 2 November 2018, Archbishop Job, hierarch of the Church of Constantinople, explained that since the Ecumenical Patriarchate abolished the decision of the 1686 letter on 11 October 2018, the UOC-MP canonically ceased to exist in Ukraine on 11 October 2018.[116][15] He added that canonically there could be only one church on the territory of Ukraine and that therefore an exharcate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine was "simply uncanonical" and that in Ukraine "there can be no repetition of Estonia’s scenario".[117][14][15] He also explained that the Ecumenical Patriarchate's decision was urged by the reactions of Ukrainian Orthodox faithfuls after the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the war in the Donbass who wanted to stay Orthodox but did not want to be part of the UOC-MP.[118][14]
On 3 November 2018, Ukrainian President Poroshenko, in visit in Turkey, signed a cooperation agreement with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.[119] According to Poroshenko, this agreement "creates all the conditions for the preparation process for a unification assembly and the process of providing a tomos to be brought into clear correspondence with the canons of the Orthodox Church."[120] This agreement led to protests by hierarchs of the UOC-MP and the ROC.[121][122][123] The text of the agreement is unknown.
29 November 2018 communiqué of the synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
The regular November session of the synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate started on 27 November and ended on 29 November, lasting three days.[124][125][126]
On 27 November the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided unanimously to dissolve its exarchate of the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe (AROCWE).[127][128]
The communiqué says the Ecumenical Patriarchate "decided to revoke the patriarchal tomos of 1999 by which it granted pastoral care and administration of orthodox parishes of Russian tradition in Western Europe to His Archbishop-Exarch. [...] Today’s decision aims to further strengthen the link of Russian tradition parishes with the mother church of the patriarchate of Constantinople. [...] It is by pastoral concern that the ecumenical patriarchate has decided to integrate and connect parishes to the various holy Metropolises of the ecumenical patriarchate in the countries where they are located. Our Mother Church will continue to ensure and guarantee the preservation of their liturgical and spiritual tradition."[129][130]
On 29 November, the synod ended.[131] Some like the Religious Information Service of Ukraine had expected the Ecumenical Patriarchate to give the date of the unification council of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.[132] However, no date was given.
After the end of its synod, the Ecumenical Patriarchate later released, on its official website, an official communiqué. In said communiqué, the Ecumenical Patriarchate announced: 1) that the synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate had decided to dissolve the AROCWE, "thereby entrusting its faithful to the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne in Europe", 2) that, in anticipation of the granting of the Tomos of autocephaly to the Orthodox church of Ukraine, the synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate had "drafted the Ukrainian Church’s Constitutional Charter."[126] On the same day, President Poroshenko said in an official speech to the Ukrainian nation that the date for the unification council for the Ukrainian church would be announced "soon" by the Ecumenical Patriarch.[133][134][135]
Formation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and election of Metropolitan Epiphany
Metropolitan Epiphany of the UOC-KP, who had been chosen on 13 December by the UOC-KP as its only candidate for the unification council between the UOC-KP, the UAOC and the UOC-MP, and was considered as Filaret's right arm,[136] was elected Metropolitan of Ukraine by the unification council on 15 December 2018 after the second round of voting.[137][138] In his speech to the faithfuls after the election, Metropolitan Epiphany thanked President Poroshenko as well as Filaret, and said Filaret was "the spiritual father of all Ukrainians" and "will continue to be an active life-long [mentor], helping us to jointly build our united local Ukrainian Orthodox church".[139][136] Epiphany also said no weighty decision would be taken by his church as long as he had not received the church's tomos.[140] The Ecumenical Patriarch congratulated and blessed the newly elected Metropolitan on the day of his election and said the newly elected primate was invited to come to Istanbul to concelebrate a mass with the Ecumenical Patriarch and receive the Orthodox Church of Ukraine's tomos on 6 January 2019.[141][142][143]
Poroshenko also made a speech after Epiphany's election, in which he said the autocephalous church would be "without Putin, without Kirill", but "with God and with Ukraine".[144][145] He added autocephaly was "part of our state pro-European and pro-Ukrainian strategy"[145] Poroshenko also confirmed his plan to go to Istanbul with the now elected primate of the autocephalous Ukrainian church, on 6 January, to be present when said primate will receive the church's tomos.[146] Poroshenko also confirmed his plan to go to Istanbul with the now elected primate of the autocephalous Ukrainian church, on 6 January, to be present when said primate will receive the church's tomos.[147]
- ^ "Biography - The Ecumenical Patriarch". Ecumenical Patriarchate. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
- ^ Vlasov, Andrey (31 May 2018). "From Kravchuk to Poroshenko: first project of SLC is 25 years now". spzh.news. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
- ^ "The Ecumenical Patriarchate recognises the independence of the Orthodox metropolis of Kiev". OSW. 2018-10-12. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
- ^ "Mikhail Denisenko (former Metropolitan Filaret of Kiev) tries to improve his image through the UN : Russian Orthodox Church". mospat.ru. 3 February 2003. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
- ^ a b c Podobied, Pavlo (8 November 2012). "Freeing Ukraine from Spiritual Dependence". ukrainianweek.com (History of the churches in Ukraine). Retrieved 2018-10-29.
- ^ a b After autocephaly, The Ukrainian Week (26 October 2018) Template:Uk icon The Ecumenical Patriarchate unveiled documents in support of Ukrainian autocephaly, Gazeta.ua (14 September 2018)
- ^ a b c "Official History of the Defrocking and Anathematization of Philaret Denisenko. Documents of the June 1992, 1994, and 1997 Bishops' Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church". OrthoChristian.Com. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
- ^ a b "To the anniversary of Kharkov Council, or a few words about how M.A. Denisenko was "expelled" from Church". spzh.news. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
- ^ Losiev, Ihor (8 November 2012). "Filaret: A Statehood-oriented Patriarch". ukrainianweek.com. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
- ^ The Russian Orthodox Church. "Statement by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church concerning the encroachment of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on the canonical territory of the Russian Church". mospat.ru. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
By the decision of the Bishops' Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which took place on May 27, 1992, in Kharkov, Metropolitan Philaret (Denisenko), for his failure to fulfil the promises he gave on oath at the cross and the Gospel during the previous Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, was removed from the see of Kiev and suspended.
The Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, by its Resolution of June 11, 1992, confirmed the decision of the Council of Kharkov and deposed Philaret Denisenko depriving him of all ranks of ministry according to the following accusations: 'Cruel and arrogant attitude to the clergy under his jurisdiction, diktat and blackmail (Tit. 1: 7-8; Apostolic Canon 27; bringing temptation to the community of the faithful by his behaviour and private life (Mt. 18:7; the First Ecumenical Council Canon 3, the Sixth Ecumenical Council Canon 5); perjury (Apostolic Canon 25); public slander and blasphemy against a Bishops' Council (Second Ecumenical Council Canon 6); exercising divine offices including ordinations in the state of suspension (Apostolic Canon 28); causing a schism in the Church (Double Council Canon 15). All the ordinations administered by Philaret in the state of suspension since May 27, 1992, and the suspensions imposed by him were recognized as invalid.
In spite of repeated calls to repentance, Philaret Denisenko after his deposition continued his schismatic activity, also within other Local Churches. By the decision of the 1997 Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was anathematized. - ^ "Statement by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church concerning the encroachment of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on the canonical territory of the Russian Church | The Russian Orthodox Church". mospat.ru. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
In spite of repeated calls to repentance, Philaret Denisenko after his deposition continued his schismatic activity, also within other Local Churches. By the decision of the 1997 Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was anathematized. These decisions were recognized by all the Local Orthodox Churches including the Church of Constantinople.
- ^ "Metropolitan Hilarion: Filaret Denisenko was and remains a schismatic | The Russian Orthodox Church". mospat.ru. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
For us Filaret was and remains a schismatic. [...] [T]he decision of his excommunication in 1997 was correct in every respect. It was recognized by all Local Churches without any exception, the Patriarchate of Constantinople including.
- ^ a b "Announcement (11/10/2018). - Announcements - The Ecumenical Patriarchate". www.patriarchate.org. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
3) To accept and review the petitions of appeal of Filaret Denisenko, Makariy Maletych and their followers, who found themselves in schism not for dogmatic reasons, in accordance with the canonical prerogatives of the Patriarch of Constantinople to receive such petitions by hierarchs and other clergy from all of the Autocephalous Churches. Thus, the above-mentioned have been canonically reinstated to their hierarchical or priestly rank, and their faithful have been restored to communion with the Church.
- ^ a b c d "Константинополь: "Надеемся, Москва обратится к разуму". Подробности беседы". BBC News Русская служба. 2018-11-02. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
- ^ a b c d Cazabonne, Emma (6 November 2018). "BBC interview with Archbishop Job of Telmessos on the Ukrainian question". orthodoxie.com. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^ a b c d e Tomos ante portas: a short guide to Ukrainian church independence. Euromaidan Press. 14 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
the Synod ... of the Ecumenical Patriarchate ... gave further confirmation that Ukraine is on the path to receiving church independence from Moscow. ... Although President Poroshenko triumphantly announced that in result of the meeting Ukraine had received the long-awaited Tomos, or decree of Church independence – a claim circulated in Ukraine with great enthusiasm, this is not true. ... Constantinople's decision will benefit other jurisdictions in Ukraine – the UOC KP and UAOC, which will have to effectively dismantle their own administrative structures and set up a new Church, which will receive the Tomos of autocephaly. ... Right now it's unclear which part of the UOC MP will join the new Church. 10 out of 90 UOC MP bishops signed the appeal for autocephaly to the Ecumenical Patriarch – only 11%. But separate priests could join even if their bishops don't, says Zuiev.
- ^ "Message By His All-Holiness to the Devout Ukrainian People on the occasion of the Triumphal Entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into the Holy City of Jerusalem". www.patriarchate.org. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
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- ^ Трефилов, Владимир (11 June 2016). Легойда: обращение Рады к Константинополю - недопустимое вмешательство. Россия сегодня (in Russian). РИА Новости. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
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- ^ "Parliament adopted a draft appeal to Ecumenical Patriarch on granting autocephaly to Ukrainian Church". risu.org.ua. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
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- ^ a b Звернення Президента України до Вселенського Патріарха Варфоломія. Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2018-10-31.
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A number of elements are needed for the process to see success. First, a corresponding appeal from UOC of the Kyiv Patriarchate and Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, which has already been [...] in a rare united move of the two churches, according to Poroshenko.
- ^ "President and the Ukrainian Churches officially ask Ecumenical Patriarch to grant the Tomos of autocephaly". risu.org.ua. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
- ^ "Poroshenko signs appeal to Ecumenical Patriarch to provide autocephaly to Ukrainian Orthodox Church". 112.international. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
'I've made a decision, as a president, to appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch, His Holiness (Bartholomew) with a request to provide a tomos of the Ukrainian independent, actually, local autocephaly church', Poroshenko claimed. Also, the president urged the Ukrainian parliament to support the appeal. 'I would ask you, my dear colleagues, as there are the things that unite us, because the president is the representative of the Ukrainian nation and the parliament is the representative of the people to support this appeal as soon as possible', the president added.
- ^ a b "UPDATE: Ukraine asks Constantinople to allow creation of independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church". UNIAN. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
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Petro Poroshenko also said that all the bishop of the Kyivan Patriarchate had signed a similar appeal to Patriarch Bartholomew. Representatives of other churches supported this idea. "I met with the Metropolitan of the UAOC Makariy and he informed me that the Hierarchical Council of the UAOC today also supported the appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch and the President," he said.
- ^ "Офіційний портал Верховної Ради України". w1.c1.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
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- ^ Про Звернення Верховної Ради України до Його Всесвятості Варфоломія, Архієпископа Константинополя і Нового Риму, Вселенського Патріарха щодо надання автокефалії Православній Церкві в Україні. Законодавство України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2018-12-04.
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The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (in Constantinople) has received a request from Ukrainian President Poroshenko to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to issue a Tomos of Autocephaly (document of independence) to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. [...] At Poroshenko's instruction, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Rostyslav Pavlenko visited Istanbul on April 20, where he delivered the Ukrainian President's request to His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
- ^ "Regarding the granting of Autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine". www.goarch.org. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
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- ^ Aleksandrov, Kirill (2 July 2018). "Tomos at a standstill: the outcome of the UOC visit to Phanar". spzh.news. Retrieved 2018-10-28.
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- ^ Заявление архиереев Украинской Православной Церкви, принявших участие в архиерейской совещании 25 июня в Киево-Печерской Лавре - Украинская Православная Церковь. Украинская Православная Церковь (in Russian). 2018-06-26. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
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From September 1–3, 2018, at the invitation of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, a Synaxis of Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne gathered from throughout the world at the Church of Holy Trinity in Stavrodromion, Istanbul. This meeting, as previously agreed upon by the venerable hierarchy three years ago, took place at the same location as the last Synaxis.
- ^ "Ecumenical Patriarchate sends Legates to Ukraine". Ecumenical Patriarchate Permanent Delegation to the World Council of Churches. 2018-09-07. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
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The Holy Synod discussed in particular and at length the ecclesiastical matter of Ukraine, in the presence of His Excellency Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon and His Grace Bishop Hilarion of Edmonton, Patriarchal Exarchs to Ukraine, and following extensive deliberations decreed:
1) To renew the decision already made that the Ecumenical Patriarchate proceed to the granting of Autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine. [...]
4) To revoke the legal binding of the Synodal Letter of the year 1686 [...] - ^ Cite error: The named reference
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The Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church are planning to merge with pro-independence bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate into an independent (autocephalous) Ukrainian church, which is expected to get a tomos — a Synod decree recognizing the independence of the Ukrainian church from the Constantinople church. "This decision gives us the opportunity to unite with bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate who are willing (to join)," Filaret said on Oct. 11.
- ^ Daniel McLaughlin (11 October 2018). "Ukraine set for church independence despite Russia's warnings". Irish Times. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
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Vladimir Putin held an operational meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council. They discussed issues of the domestic Russian socio-economic agenda and international issues.
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Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed on Friday with the permanent members of the Russian Security Council a wide range of domestic and foreign policy issues, including the situation around the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
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- ^ a b "Phanar – to His Beatitude: You will remain Metropolitan till the Council". spzh.news. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
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Press secretary of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya) says [...] nearly 10 bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate (MP) support the unification process, and it will be clear how many will take part in the unification council in the process of its preparation. Zorya predicts that after receiving a tomos, the majority of those who are now part of the Moscow Patriarchate will join the Ukrainian Church. "According to my forecasts, this will continue for several years and, as a result, at least two-thirds of those who are with the MP will join the Ukrainian church," he said.
- ^ "Constantinople: Moscow Patriarchate no longer exists in Ukraine". Ukrinform. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
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- ^ "Tomorrow, the Synod of Constantinople will make formal announcement on the Tomos and make public the date of Unification Council". risu.org.ua. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-01.
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- ^ Адміністрація Президента України (2018-11-29), Звернення Президента щодо рішення Синоду Вселенського Патріархату про схвалення Томосу, retrieved 2018-12-01
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{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ Предстоятель единой УПЦ Епифаний рассказал о статусе Филарета и главном соборе новой церкви. www.unian.net (in Russian). 16 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
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(help) - ^ Cazabonne, Emma (2018-12-15). "Bishop Epiphaniy (Dumenko) elected Primate of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine". Orthodoxie.com. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
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(help) - ^ a b "Speech by the President on the results of the All-Ukrainian Orthodox Unity Council". Official website of the President of Ukraine. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-23.
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(help) - ^ "Poroshenko to travel with Metropolitan Epiphany to collect Constantinople's tomos in person". interfax-religion.com. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
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(help) - ^ "Poroshenko to travel with Metropolitan Epiphany to collect Constantinople's tomos in person". www.interfax-religion.com. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
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