A brochure on Ukrainian autocephaly was published on Mount Athos

Some excerpts from the brochure were published on Facebook by the Press Secretary of the Diocese of Vinnytsia-Bar of the OCU, clergyman of the Transfiguration Cathedral, Archimandrite Sofroniy Chuprina.

"In 1991, Ukraine became an independent state, and as a result, the Church of Ukraine appealed to the Moscow Patriarchate to take the necessary steps to provide it with autocephaly. In 1992, the Ukrainian hierarchs unanimously signed the appeal. However, it was very challenging for the Russian Church to grant autocephaly to Ukraine because this meant it would lose territory and shrines that are directly related to its history, and at the same time lose influence on them. Therefore, it chose to create a split within Ukraine rather than agree to grant autocephaly."

"The schism was initiated by the Russian Church, not by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. All local churches have communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The Russian Church has severed communication with those who recognized the new Autocephalous Church of Ukraine."

"The Autocephaly of Ukraine is the church act that has taken place."

"The Ecumenical Patriarchate acts with a sense of responsibility, being the first Church among the equals. The Ecumenical Patriarch knows that he will answer to God if he allows millions of people to remain in schism...You can compare the Ukrainian Church to the miracles of the Lord. The Pharisees, seeing miracles, still accused the Lord of canceling the Sabbath. They clung to the provisions of the law. They could not comprehend the greatness of God."

"We should all be happy that the Ukrainian people as a whole have now found salvation. The Church of Christ has millions of new believers."

"There are no more schismatics in Ukraine."

"The Autocephalous Church of Ukraine is under the blessing of the Mother Church, which granted autocephaly to other Churches, and the Ukrainian Orthodox brethren are pleased by this fact."

"The case of Ukraine is much easier than the cases that the Church has dealt with before... here the differences are administrative, not dogmatic."

Regarding the role of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Orthodoxy: "We can see that in the Divine Liturgy there is always someone who stands up and performs еhe Sacrament. All of them can be equal in rank, but one must be the first, in the prototype of Christ. Even at the First Apostolic Council, there was a leader, Saint James, the Lord's Brother. They were all Apostles, but someone presided and led the discussion."

"The cessation of commemoration and communion is a measure that the church uses for pedagogical purposes. However, in the case of the Russian Church, we see that it uses this as a means of revenge on those who disagree with their reasonable goals. In response to the recognition of the Greek Church, an unprecedented decision was made to stop communicating with the Greek dioceses that supported the recognition of the new Autocephalous Church of Ukraine, while maintaining communication with several dioceses whose Metropolitans opposed recognition. It is obvious that the Russian Church is trying to divide the Greek Church, as well as indirectly warn other local churches that are well aware of the problems that may be caused by political and financial problems."
"Some people think that by criticizing and insulting the Ecumenical Patriarch, they become confessors of the faith. But true confession is keeping the truth, which is dictated by the rules and sacred tradition of the Church."

"There has always been such excitement in the church because where there are people, there are problems."