The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan patriarchate (UOC-KP) issued an address to the Catholics, Anglicans and to the Primates and the wholeness of the local Orthodox Churches with the request to help stop in Ukraine the practice of “repeated baptism” by the Moscow Patriarchate of persons who already received the sacrament of Baptism in the Kyivan Patriarchate
The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan patriarchate (UOC-KP) issued an address to the Catholics, Anglicans and to the Primates and the wholeness of the national Orthodox Churches with the request to help stop in Ukraine the practice of “repeated baptism” by the Moscow Patriarchate of persons who already received the sacrament of Baptism in the Kyivan Patriarchate, “which practice is shameful for the whole Christian world,” the website of the UOC-KP reported.
“We understand that recognition of the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church is a complicated and long process. But already now we, as well as any conscious Christian, cannot put up with the existing practice of the Moscow Patriarchate to 'baptize' again people who already received baptism in the Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate. For this practice is a gross violation of the instructions of the Holy Scripture and Tradition, disregard for the Creed of Nicea and Constantinople, the dogmas and canons of the Church,” reads the address.
“Therefore, we address you primarily with the request to pray to God that He should teach the hierarchs of the Moscow Patriarchate to stop violating the dogmas and canons of Christ’s Church, which recognizes only one baptism for the remission of sins,” states the Synod.
“We also ask the Blessed Primates of the National Orthodox Churches and the respected heads of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England with whom the Orthodox Churches maintain permanent Theological dialogue, if possible, to remind the hierarchs of the Moscow Patriarchate that it is unacceptable to administer the 'second baptism' to those persons who are already baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit according to the Holy Scripture and Tradition. For this practice absolutely contradicts the spirit of the inter-Christian dialogue and is ruining it,” stressed the bishops of the UOC-KP.