In an interview to ‘Pro Tserkvu’ (‘About Church’) website, UOC ChiefAdministrativeOfficerMetropolitan Anthony (Pakanych )of Boryspil and Brovaryexplains why the issue of church schism in Ukraine is not on the agenda of Pan-Orthodox Council, scheduled for 2016.
“The list of topics to be considered at the Pan-Orthodox Council was drawn upalready at the end of the 1960s, when the current church schisms in Ukraine did not exist. Then it was decided that the Pan-Orthodox council will considerthe issues of general churchimportance. Therefore the internalissues of local Churches were not added to this list. Thus, the issue of church schisms in Ukraine has not been brought to the agenda of the Pan-Orthodox Council. However, the topics that will be considered at the Council include the procedure for granting ecclesiastical autocephaly and autonomy. Currently, there is no unity on this issueamong the local churches. Pursuant to the regulations for preparation of the Pan-Orthodox Council, only the documents that have already been unanimously supportedby all the local Churches can be presented for its consideration.Therefore, today it remains unclear whether the question of autocephaly and autonomy will be considered at the Council,” the Metropolitansaid.
The UOC (MP) Metropolitan also commented in the interview on the visits to Ukraine of representatives of the Constantinople Patriarchate, including Metropolitan George (Kalishchuk) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, and the possibility that the Patriarchate of Constantinople may open their church institutions or even establish theautocephalous church in Ukraine based on the Kyiv Patriarchateby its right of the Mother Church.
Metropolitan Anthony presented the position of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) on thisissue: “The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the largest religious denomination in Ukraine. Therefore, we believe that our church is to be involved all possible negotiations on overcoming thechurch divisions in Ukraine. Unfortunately, we see that recently, while visiting Ukraine and communicating with the public authorities and with representatives of unrecognized religious entities, the Ecumenical Patriarchate hierarchs havebeen actually ignoring the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. And the scenarios of further development of Orthodoxy in Ukraine, which, in particular, have been voiced by Metropolitan George, have been in no way discussed with the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Of course, our Church would be grateful for any kind of support from other local Churches in the complicated matter of overcoming church divisions ... and today we reiterate that we cannot overcome the church schism ignoring the only one recognized Orthodox Churchin Ukraine. Experience shows that the opening of parallel structures of various local Churches in the same area poses a threat for the Church and social peace. We hope that in the future Ukrainian state leaders and representatives of other Local Churches willpay due attention to the position of bishops, clergy and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.”