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UAOC ready to become Constantinople’s metropolis

7 June 2015
http://risu.org.ua/en/index/all_news/confessional/orthodox_relations/60184/

The UAOC is ready to abandon its autocephalous status and enter the Constantinople Patriarchate on the rights of a metropolis.

The delegates of the 5th Local Council held on June 6 in Kyiv adopted a statement with such request. The authors of the document believe that the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church will not lose its “magnificent and doleful” history within the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

“In the face of the Mother Church of Constantinople, on behalf of all the fullness of the Church, the Local Council turns to you to with a request –leaving aside any bias, to restore historical justice, receiving our Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church to the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a metropolis with the rights of self-governance, which it had had previous to its accession in 1686 to the Moscow Church. This will allow millions of Ukrainian Orthodox join the prayer and Eucharistic communion with world Orthodoxy, because lack of unity is detrimental to their spiritual condition,” the statement goes.

Delegates to the 5th Local Council of the UAOC noted that the restoration of the Kyiv Metropolis would be the initial model to organize canonical life in Ukraine. They even prepared a number of action points that will enable the UAOC and Constantinople [to] implement this blessed dream in life.

This issues include the involvement of leading theologians of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to discuss the problem of division in Ukrainian Orthodoxy, round tables and opening in Kyiv or Lviv of representations (metochions) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which will become the institutional center of interchurch activities in the issues of bringing unrecognized Orthodox communities of Ukraine to normal life in the Ecumenical Orthodox Church.

“At the same time, in solving the issue of the UAOC, we do not reject the magnificent and doleful history and traditions of our Church. The strategic goal of our church, building a single canonical Ukrainian Local Church, remains unchanged,” claim the members of the UAOC Local Council.

Has such a proposal been submitted before to the Ecumenical Patriarch? If so, what kind of response did it receive?

The request has not yet been formally submitted to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It will be interesting to see what happens - especially in view of the Russo-Orthodox Patriarchate and the MP Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Remember the 1996 incident when the EP affirmed the 1923 grant of autonomy to the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (EAOC) and its canonical subordination to Constantinople - over and against the Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (EOCMP). The Estonian-born Moscow Patriarch Alexei II struck the commemoration of the EP from the diptychs, thus breaking communion between Moscow and Constantinople. The issue was resolved after several months of negotiations between the two patriarchates, allowing both churches to function in Estonia and individual parishes and clergy to choose which jurisdiction to follow: A majority of parishes went with the EAOC but of faithful with the EOCMP - today with about 20,000 in 59 parishes and 150,000 in 30 parishes, respectively.

The closest situation to the UOAC proposal might be the American Carpatho-Russian (or Ruthenian) Orthodox Diocese (ACROD), formed in 1938 when 37 Ruthenian Catholic parishes left the Catholic Church and embraced Orthodoxy over the prohibition of married priests and other Byzantine practices in the US by the dominant Latin Church and affirmed by the Vatican - the second such large-scale exodus by Eastern Catholics.

As Wikipedia puts it:

Interesting news.


I think it is wonderful that the UAOC wants to restore communion with the wider Orthodox Church and I agree that historically the Ukrainian Church was part of the Ecumenical Throne but they are ignoring the elephant in the Rome, Moscow. There is no way that the Ecumenical Patriarchate would recognize the UAOC as a self-governing Metropolitan Church within the EP. It would create a crisis within the Orthodox world. Maybe even a schism between Moscow and Constantinople before the Great Council coming up.


And that includes the UOC-MP.

I was passed some RISU Links yesterday - sorry the articles are in Ukrainian and clearly not yet available in English.

I've a feeling we are going to have to wait till much later this year to find out what will come of these meetings

RISU - Ukrainian [risu.org.ua]

RISU Ukrainian [risu.org.ua]

While not "clearly" in English, here is a Google translation:

1. UOC-KP and UAOC agreed to immediately convene the unification Cathedral

June 8, 2015

The Commission for dialogue UAOC and UOC-KP June 8 at the joint meeting decided to offer its Primates immediately convene unification Cathedral.

This was announced on his page in Facebook one of the participants Patriarch Filaret, Metropolitan of Lviv Dytymtriy (Rudiuk) .

"The meeting lasted more than 4 hours. Following the lengthy discussions decisions submitted in the annex "- he said.

Svyavschennosluzhyteli both churches again zadeklarovaly clear intention of the parties to build a local church.

Central decision - Primate UAOC Council and its Bishops and Primate of the UOC-KP and its Holy Synod asked to immediately convene Unity Cathedral for the final and fixed statutory norms and canon law association UAOC and the UOC-KP a single national church.

The document was signed :

From the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Galician Andrew, Archbishop Ternopil Mstislav protoyereyi Kavchak Nikolay, Yevgeny Shuvar, George Kushniryuk.

From the UOC-KP: Lviv Metropolitan Demetrios, Archbishop of Chernigov Yevstratii, protoyereyi Trofymlyuk Alexander, Alex Holovatsky, Michael Lesyuk.

The commission was held in the presence of observers from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada bishop Hilarion, Bishop UOC of the USA Daniel.
________________________________________________________________

2. Commission UOC-KP and UAOC in the final document identified concrete steps to unite the two churches

June 9, 2015

June 8, 2015 in St. Michael's Monastery, in the Hall of the Academic Council of the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy, a joint meeting of the Committees UOC Kiev Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

As an observer at a meeting attended by hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople - Orthodox Church of Canada, Bishop Hilarion (Rudyk) and Bishop UOC of the USA Daniel (Zelinsky).

According to the official website of the Kiev Patriarchate , they were authorized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to participate in meetings of the Committees, confirming the attention and support of the Mother Church of Constantinople unification process in Ukrainian Orthodoxy.

The outcome of a joint document was adopted, the text of which is reproduced below.

[Linked Image]

A final decision
of the joint meeting of the Committees for dialogue
Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate Ukrainian Orthodox Church
and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kiev Patriarchate Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church

St. Michael's Monastery, m. Kyiv
June 8, 2015

Gathered at a joint meeting in the presence of observers from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, His Eminence Hilarion, Bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, and His Eminence Daniel, Bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA UAOC Commission for dialogue with the UOC MP and UOC-KP Commission for dialogue with the UAOC together decided the following.

1. To express appreciation to His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and the Mother Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Diaspora, by sending observers in case dialogue.

2. state that decisions V UAOC under the Local Council (4-5 June 2015) and the UOC-KP under decisions of the Holy Synod (from May 12, 2015), intend and desire in the near time to unite in a single national Orthodox Ukrainian Church.

3. Recognize that according to canonical norms, statutes of both churches and laws of Ukraine, top desire to join is possible only in the common Unity Council.

4. Offer Primate UAOC and her Council of Bishops and Primate of the UOC-KP and its Holy Synod immediately, to June 30, 2015, to decide on the convening of the Unity Council for final union of UAOC and the UOC-KP a single national church.

5. The composition of delegates Unity Council defined on an equal basis, all the bishops of the UAOC and UOC-KP, and one delegate for every fifteen registered religious organizations (base number of religious organizations is determined on the basis of official data on registration Ministry of Culture of Ukraine as of January 1, 2015). Hay representation within the UAOC and the UOC-KP depends on the decisions of their statutory bodies.

6. Following the decision to convene the Council (in accordance with Para. 4 of the final decision) Commissions for dialogue between the UAOC and the UOC-KP converted into common Peredsobornu Commission, which is preparing to Council. By Peredsobornoyi Commission is an equal equal number of bishops and representatives from the clergy and laity of the UOC-KP and UAOC, but no more than seven on each side. Chairman of relevant Committees for dialogue Peredsobornoyi are co-chairs of the Commission. By the presence in the commission invited observers from the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

7. Sometimes Unity Council proposed to convene Sept. 14, 2015, the day the church novoletie. The venue of the Unity Council invited Saint Sophia Cathedral.

8. After deciding to convene the Council (in accordance with Para. 4 of the final decision) in time for the council imposed a moratorium on the transition of parishes and bishops from one jurisdiction to another.

9. According to the approved in the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2000 Symfonitikonu provisions define what is freely liturgical concelebration and Eucharistic unity Primates, bishops and clergy of the UAOC and the UOC-KP, according to their mutual agreement.

10. From the opening of the Unity Council and to the adoption of the Unity Council decision to merge the UAOC and the UOC-KP in one of the Primate of the Church and the United Church, Primate UAOC and the UOC-KP is co-chaired the Unity Council.

11. Unity Cathedral all proposals submitted and Conditions association approved UAOC (4-5 June 2015) and the Holy Synod of the UOC KP (12 May 2015), including questions about the Primate and the name ' united Church, taking into account the position of the Council on UAOC name for the united Church "Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Kyiv Patriarchate." Action on all issues Unity Cathedral receives a majority vote.

This final decision is composed of three identical copies, each three pages certified by the Chairmen of the Committees, signed by all members of the two Commissions present at the meeting and certified by observers from the Ecumenical Patriarch. In order to inform both churches completeness final decision is published in the media.

Commission UAOC

Andrew Metropolitan Galician Mstislav , Archbishop of Ternopil Archpriest Nikolai Kavchak (Lviv diocese) Archpriest Eugene Shuvar (Ivano-Frankivsk eparchy) Archpriest Georgy Kushniryuk (Kiev diocese)





Commission UOC-KP

Demetrius , Metropolitan of Lviv Yevstratii , Archbishop of Chernigov Archpriest Alexander Trofymlyuk (m. Kyiv) Archpriest Alexei Holovatsky (Ternopil diocese) Archpriest Mikhail Lesyuk (Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky diocese)

This is the best news ever!

The fact that the Ecumenical Patriarchate sent its own observer is both excellent and very interesting.

There were also representatives present from both canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Churches in Canada and the USA.

There can be little doubt that this union council will take place - both churches already allow their clergy to serve with one another, especially on feast days.

And IF Constantinople receives this united Church under its omophorion and it becomes canonical - that means that Ukrainian Orthodox worldwide will come into union as well.

It will also mean that the Ukrainians who are part of the Moscow Patriarchate will have much fewer inhibitions about switching patriarchal allegiances.

It will also mean interesting things for the Ukrainian Catholic Church. I wonder how many EC's over there will want to join together with their Orthodox brothers and sisters in that single, canonical Orthodox Church?

The big issue is what the Moscow Patriarchate's reaction will be. It will doubtless be a strong one and could even lead to a schism.

There can also be no doubt that the Ukrainian government is squarely behind these unity moves.

Alex

In the full article is this: " The delegates of the 5th Local Council held on June 6 in Kyiv adopted a statement with such request. The authors of the document believe that the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church will not lose its “magnificent and doleful”history within the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

In the face of the Mother Church of Constantinople, on behalf of all the fullness of the Church, the Local Council turns to you to with a request –leaving aside any bias, to restore historical justice, receiving our Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church to the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a metropolis with the rights of self-governance, which it had had previous to its accession in 1686 to the Moscow Church. This will allow millions of Ukrainian Orthodox join the prayer and Eucharistic communion with world Orthodoxy, because lack of unity is detrimental to their spiritual condition,” the statement goes. " http://risu.org.ua/en/index/all_news/confessional/orthodox_relations/60184/

The bolded part of the statement no doubt comes from observing the Ecumenical Patriarchate's now eighty years of non-interference in the day to day activities and administration of the Carpatho-Rusyn diocese in America and the now over two decades of similar non-interference in the day to day activities and administration of the UOC-USA; both of which were received under the omophorion of the Ecumenical Throne on conditions not dissimilar to those which the Bishops entering union with Rome in the 16th and 17th centuries insisted upon as part of the Unions. There is more than some irony in my observation.

Dear DMD,

Very insightful indeed!

In actual fact, you are quoting from the statement issued by the UAOC Sobor when they appealed directly to the EP.

The next day or so, the unity commission on which they and the KP sit came out with the other statement concerning a union council - this has not yet been ratified by the Primates of either the UAOC or the KP. And the EP delegate, including those of the canonical UOC in Canada and the USA, was present at the conclusion of that meeting as well.

So the first one appealed directly to the EP with the highest authority of its Sobor of bishops while the second one is the statement of their ecumenical commission . . .

I'm happy to make that clear . . .

Alex

Further to the eparchy of the UAOC in eastern Ukraine that would like to explore ways of joining the . . . UGCC, its Archbishop Ihor (Issichenko) recently wrote an article - in extremely fine, academic Ukrainian I will add - about the "myths" that he says Orthodox Christians often labour under.

He begins by stating it is a myth to think that St Vladimir received "Orthodoxy not Catholicism" in 988. He says that that wasn't even an issue in the united Church at that time, that Greek vs Latin theological disputes were foreign to his jurisdiction and that both terms would have been used to describe the Church he and his country were joining through Baptism.

He also says it is a myth that the Kyivan Church rejected the Council of Florence. Kyivan Metropolitan Isidore, a Greek, in fact, was a very strong promoter of this union until he was deposed by Muscovy.

The Archbishop goes on to say it is a myth that the Union of Brest affected only western Ukraine/Belarus. In fact, Kyiv and eastern Ruthenia came under the Union of Brest in the first instance. It was only in 1700 that the western parts were received into the Unia.

Most interestingly, he says that it is likewise a myth that the kozaks "fought for Orthodoxy." They used inflammatory, religious language in their battles, but they were really about improving their socio-political status. At the same time, the Orthodox Metropolitans of the time including St Peter Mohyla and others were in intensive talks with the Catholic Kingdom of Poland to see if they could reach an agreement on full unity . . .

The Archbishop said he would prefer to be in communion with the Ukrainian Catholic Church because he and others like him don't want to be part of a "National State Orthodox Church" (Kyivan Patriarchate). He says that this ecclesial model is an exact copy of the State Church of Russia where there is no synergy but only dominance of the state over the Church.

Interesting points, I thought.

Alex

It looks like the UAOC also elected a new Metropolitan [risu.org.ua] .

Yes indeed - Tomassus has a thread on this already . . .

Alex

Earlier today the Ukrainian Orthodox Church USA posted a news release regarding the meeting between the UAOC and the UOC KP. It confirms that the UOCUSA's Bishop Daniel attended as a representative of Constantinople. If the Synod of unity results in union between the UAOC and the KP and if significant defections from.the UOCMP follow, it seems quite possible if not probable that Constantinople will recognize such a body as some sort of autonomous self governing church under its omophorion. If so, all bets are off. Here is the link. The English translation is very clear and direct. http://uocofusa.org/news_150609_1.html

Of course, if Constantinople recognizes a united Ukrainian front, the proverbial Rubicon will have been crossed. Those hoping to see some sort of administrative unity in North America in their lifetime should find something else to dream about if this occurs unless Antioch and the OCA were to side with Constantinople and the Ukrainians, a most unlikely possibility.

Alea iacta est.

And I thought this evening was going to be same old, same old . . .

Thank you sir!

Alex

Reaction from UOC-MP, according to RISU (Google translations):

1. UOC (MP) decided that the union and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Kiev Patriarchate will only lead to strife

June 10, 2015
http://risu.org.ua/ua/index/all_news/confessional/orthodox_relations/60232/

The possible association UAOC and the UOC-KP will only lead to quarrels as national Orthodox church still does not recognize the decision of the churches, which they consider schismatic, said RIA But Vost the spokesman UOC (MP), Vasily Anisimov.

On the eve of a meeting of the commission UAOC and the UOC-KP, which was decided "soon unite in a single national Ukrainian Orthodox Church", which will be September 14, 2015 Unity convened two cathedral churches. In the final document the Commission underlined that at the meeting as observers were representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

"They (UAOC and UOC KP - Ed.) It has repeatedly tried to unite. I think even if they agree this time, it is no good will not. Moreover, it will not lead to unity with Ecumenical Orthodox 'pits to which they aspire so much "- said Anisimov.

The source said that even if the UAOC and the UOC-KP will agree to merge, they will ask Constantinople to recognize their local church, that will only lead to quarrels. According to him, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate repeatedly called "splitters" to return to the fold of the canonical Church.
_________________________________________________________________

2. UOC believe that recognition of Constantinople Union UOC-KP and UAOC will lead to a split in the Orthodox world

June 10, 2015
http://risu.org.ua/ua/index/all_news/confessional/orthodox_relations/60234/

If the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kiev Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church unite, this is not a local church in the full sense of the word.

It said a spokesman for the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Archpriest Nikolai Danylevych, reports UNIAN religion with reference to the Information Centre of the UOC.

"Because there will not be our Church. UOC-KP and UAOC - church, unrecognized world Orthodoxy. Some of their representatives said that if the association recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. But this is impossible, "- said Archpriest UPC.

According to him, when Constantinople will take such steps, it will generate division among all 15 local Orthodox Churches in the world.

"For example, Member States have the right to have any relations with the states, which imposed an international arms embargo, and in the church space impossible situation to one Patriarchate acknowledged some newly formed church, while others - not recognized" - says the priest.

As a special case, he gives the example of the American Orthodox Church, which some believe is completely independent, that is autocephalous, and others - autonomous, ie semi-independent.

"But the church is canonical, it is recognized by all the Local Orthodox Churches. The only question is whether it statusi- it is completely independent or autonomous, "- says Fr Nicholas.

Recall that on 9 June in the air "5 channel" Kiev Patriarchate spokesman Yevstratii Dawn said that after the unification of the UOC-KP and UAOC formation of a new church will be recognized by Constantinople Patriarchate.