Metropolitan of Odesa of UOC-Moscow Patriarchate Summons All Bishops to Kyiv

A member of the Permanent Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) Metropolitan Ahafanhel (Savin) of Odesa and Izmail has sent invitations to all the bishops of the UOC-MP to come to Kyiv to attend a liturgy at the Kyiv Cave Monastery on November 23, “on the birthday of Blessed Metropolitan Volodymyr with an intention to offer to the All-generous God a joint prayer for the health of the sick head of the UOC,” the website of Archbishop Ionafan (Yeletskyi) has reported.

Metropolitan Volodymyr is now in intensive care. He was hospitalized on October 30 and his condition remains critical. The clergy of the UOC-MP repeatedly conducted services for his recovery. However, RISU learned from sources inside the church that this time the metropolitan of Odesa summons the bishops not only to pray. He allegedly plans to discuss with the bishops the possibility of electing a locum tenens and a candidate for the position of the head of the UOC-MP, who would suit Moscow. Metropolitan Ahafanhel is one of the aspirants to the position.

The head of the Synodal Education and Information Department of UOC-MP, Fr. Heorhii Kovalenko commented to RISU in this regard: “These are all informal talks, and no official talks regarding a locum tenens are being conducted. If they meet, they can raise any subjects, there is nothing prohibited about it.”