Metropolitan Volodymyr: To Seek to Obtain Autocephaly Now Is Difficult Dangerous and Not Necessary

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) is not currently in need of autocephaly, even though the church does not consider this subject banned from discussion, Metropolitan Volodymyr, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, said in an іnterview to the newspaper Dzerkalo Tyznia (№7, 24 February - 2 March).

“They talk a lot about possible autocephaly, but, officially, the question of the final decision was not raised. It does not mean that the church prohibits a discussion of this subject. The question of autocephaly is especially important for Western Ukraine with its own history of the church and Motherland. But one needs to understand that this will be accompanied with new problems, a number of problems connected with the structure of government and distribution of power,” said the hierarch.

The metropolitan stressed that the problem of autocephaly should be viewed “from the point of view of the Christian responsibility.” “The church cannot be altered in the same way as we alter our secular institutions.”

“To seek to obtain autonomy now, in view of the present mixture in Ukraine, is difficult, dangerous, and, in my opinion, not necessary as of today,” said the head of the UOC-MP.