Council of Bishops of the UOC states that Constantinople set out on a path of schism

The Council of the Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) which was held on November 13 in Kyiv reiterated that it deems invalid the decision of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from October 11, 2018 concerning the Ukrainian Church.

This is stated in the Resolution of the Council, published by the Information Department of the UOC (MP).

The hierarchs of the Moscow Patriarchate declare that “the decision to lift anathema and other church bans from the leaders of the split and the recognition of the pseudo-ordinations performed during the split is a consequence of the distorted interpretation of the Orthodox canons.”

“Having adopted such anti-canonical decisions, recognizing the schismatics in their actual rank, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, in accordance with the church rules, itself set out on the path of split. Therefore, the Eucharistic communion of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with the Patriarchate of Constantinople is currently impossible and shall be suspended,” said the hierarchs of the UOC (MP).

The episcopate of the UOC (MP) also believes that the process of granting the Tomos of autocephaly is artificial and externally imposed.

The Council of Bishops of the UOC (MP), in addition, opposes any attempt to change their name:

“If the relevant bills are adopted by Ukraine’s Parliament, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will protect its rights by all legal means provided for in the “Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church”, the Ukrainian legislation and the European Convention on Human Rights,” warns the UOC (MP).