Twenty-nine bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate condemned the actions of the Russian Orthodox Church to dismiss the hierarchs of the UOC-MP in the temporarily occupied territories.
This is said in their statement.
On October 24, 2024, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to dismiss Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol from the management of the Donetsk Diocese of the UOC-MP and retire him. Prior to this, bishops of other dioceses of the UOC-MP in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia were dismissed.
“These decisions were made unilaterally, without any agreement with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is canonically independent according to the Tomos (Letter) of Patriarch Alexy II of October 27, 1990, and confirmed by the decision of the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on May 27, 2022,” the document reads.
The hierarchs of the UOC-MP condemn these decisions and consider them non-canonical.
“In addition, this decision is aimed at undermining the independence of Ukraine and the very existence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the difficult conditions of hostilities on the territory of Ukraine. After all, the anti-canonical dismissal of Metropolitan Hilarion, a Ukrainian by birth, the creator of the Donetsk diocese, a long-time archpastor in the Donetsk region, and the appointment of a Russian bishop in his place testifies to Moscow's desire to annex the canonical territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in order to destroy its independence and autonomy.
We disagree with this decision, demand its immediate reversal, and call for the abandonment of aggressive church policy towards the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its long-suffering flock. We also call for respect for the borders of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the hierarchs of the UOC-MP emphasize.
The bishops of the UOC-MP:
AGAFANGEL, Metropolitan of Odesa and Izmail
ANATOLY, Metropolitan of Polissya and Sarny
AGAPIT, Metropolitan of Mohyliv-Podilskyi and Sharhorod
ALEXY, Metropolitan of Balta and Ananiev
NIKODYM, Metropolitan of Zhytomyr and Novohrad-Volynskyi
VOLODYMYR, Metropolitan of Volodymyr-Volyn and Kovel
EULOGIY, Metropolitan of Sumy and Okhtyrka
FEODOR, Metropolitan of Mukachevo and Uzhhorod
VOLODYMYR, Metropolitan of Kamianske and Tsarychanka
FILARET, Metropolitan of Lviv and Halych
MYKOLA, Metropolitan of Kremenchuk and Lubny
VARSONOFY, Metropolitan of Vinnytsia and Bar
OLEKSY, Metropolitan of Voznesensk and Pervomaisk
BOGOLEP, Metropolitan of Oleksandriya and Svitlovodsk
NATHANAEL, Metropolitan of Volyn and Lutsk
VICTOR, Metropolitan of Khmelnytsky and Starokostiantyniv
PANTELEIMON, Archbishop of Bucha
OLEKSANDR, Archbishop of Horodnitsky
IONA, Archbishop of Obukhiv
DIODOR, Archbishop of Yuzhne
VICTOR, Archbishop of Artsyz
IOAN, Archbishop of Zolotonosha
SERGIY, Archbishop of Bolgrad
PYMEN, Archbishop of Rivne and Ostroh
SPYRIDON, Archbishop of Dobropole
NIKODYM, Archbishop of Lubetsk
KYRYL, Bishop of Byshiv
IACOB, Bishop of Drohobych ILARIY, Bishop of Svalyava
ALIPI, Bishop of Tarutyne ANASTASY, Bishop of Ovidiopol
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