Hierarchs of UOC-KP thanked Patriarch Bartholomew, invoking peace, and declared willingness to communicate with ROC

Hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate, who gathered at the Synod on October 20, sent a letter of gratitude to Patriarch Bartholomew and his Synod of the Mother Church of Constantinople for their decision of October 11, 2018.

These decisions “open the way to the creation of the one local Autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine and the receipt of the Patriarchal and Synodal Tomos of autocephaly,” emphasizes the UOC-KP.

The members of the Synod of the UOC-KP stated that the restoration of Patriarchal Stauropegia as the representation of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Kyiv would promote better interaction between the Mother Church of Constantinople and the Local UOC, serving as a visible sign of permanent communication between the two Churches.

The Kyiv Patriarchate called on the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the hierarchs of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine involved in the process of unification, which evolves with the participation of representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and representatives of the Ukrainian state to launch the preparation of the Extraordinary Unification Council, which will elect the Primate of the one local autocephalous UOC who will receive the Patriarchal and Synodal Tomos of autocephaly of the UOC.

The episcopate of the UOC-KP urged all involved parties to refrain from seizing churches, monasteries and other property, as well as from any other violent acts and retaliation.

“The process of unification of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church must be voluntary, peaceful and without coercion, every member of the Church, as well as every community of laity or monks, will have the right to freely choose the center of their church affiliation - to affiliate with the Ukrainian Church or the Russian Church.

Those hierarchs, clergy and lay people who will, under all circumstances, remain in subordination of the Moscow Patriarchate, are entitled to do so. The Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine will equally coexist with all other Churches and religious organizations, as guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of our state and international law,” says the decision of the Synod.

The UOC-KP expressed regret at the decisions of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church from October 15, 2018 concerning the severing of communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and emphasized that the UOC-KP “has no obstacles to Eucharistic and prayerful communion with the hierarchs, clergy and faithful of the autocephalous local Russian Orthodox Church, as with the Plenitude of Orthodoxy.”