Filaret’s 'Council' restores UOC-KP with all its structure, property and criticizes Tomos

Today, on June 20, Patriarch Emeritus Filaret organized in St Volodymyr's Cathedral of Kyiv the so-called "Council" to restore the activities of the UOC-Kyiv Patriarchate. The text of the resolution approved at the meeting states that the UOC-KP repeals the decision of the Unification Council.

"The local council does not approve, but repeals the decision of the Council of Bishops or the so-called Local Council, because it was not a Local Council, but a collection of signatures of bishops, one priest and two laymen on the conditional dissolution of the UOC-Kyiv Patriarchate, at the request of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The unification council of Ukrainian churches as well as the provision of the Tomos could not take place without dissolution of the UOC-KP on December 15, 2018,” goes the first paragraph of the resolution.

The document states that the UOC-KP continues to exist and has a state registration, while Filaret remains its head. In addition, the Kyiv Patriarchate declared it still enjoys full possession of all monasteries, parishes, theological academy, foreign eparchies, etc.

"The UOC-KP continues to be the owner of all funds, all property (movable and immovable) purchased for its own money or transferred to it by state authorities or local government bodies, including churches, monasteries, educational institutions, etc. according to agreements and arrangements. All bank accounts are accounts of the Kyiv Patriarchate as a legal entity,” the resolution states.

Filaret’s supporters believe that to Kyiv Patriarchate "may belong those diocesan administrations and religious communities that re-registered their Charters as the OCU, but are willing to remain in the UOC-KP."

"The Tomos of autocephaly presented to the UOC on January 6, 2019 in Constantinople (Istanbul) is different from the Charters of autocephalous Churches granted to all autocephalous churches, and therefore places the UOC in dependence on the Constantinople Patriarchate," the document states.

The members of the Council thank Bartholomew "for the attempt to resolve the Ukrainian church problem," but they emphasize that the UOC-KP is not satisfied with the text of the Tomos.

As RISU has reported, only two out of more than 40 bishops came to the Council convened by Filaret. In total, 200 delegates (the faithful who continue to consider themselves part of the UOC-KP) and 50 guests have taken part in it.

According to Strana.ua, which carried out a live broadcast from the temple, the 'Council' unanimously voted for the resolution and appeal to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Bishops were also elected. Filaret himself proposed two candidates: Andriy (Treasurer of St Theodosius's Monastery) and a representative of the Diocese of Kharkiv.

Finally, Filaret stated that it is not necessary to worry that the UOC-KP is not recognized: “We need the Church not to be recognized, but to be holy and apostolic.”