Patriarch Filaret passes away
This was reported by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).
Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, the Primate of the OCU, expressed his deepest condolences.
"The life and numerous good deeds of the late Patriarch Filaret hold a special place in the modern history of both the local Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Ukraine as a whole," noted the Primate of the OCU. "Having led the Kyiv See six decades ago, Patriarch Filaret, as Exarch of Ukraine, as Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), and later as Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), played a significant role in preserving church life during the Soviet oppression of the Church, during Ukraine's spiritual revival, and especially during the struggle for church autocephaly.
It was largely due to his decisive actions that the Unification Council, held on December 15, 2018, at St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, was successful. This council led to the organizational establishment of a single local Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the reception of the Tomos of Autocephaly. Despite the challenges that followed, we have always honored Patriarch Filaret's contributions to the Church's development. This is why both I and, as I believe, everyone in the OCU, received with great spiritual joy our recent meetings with the Patriarch and our shared prayers, which demonstrated the victory of love and brotherly peace in Christ.
Although we are profoundly saddened by Patriarch Filaret's passing, we believe in God's mercy toward him and offer our prayers for the repose of his soul. We will take all necessary steps to honor the memory of our Honorary Patriarch, ensuring he is sent off on his final earthly journey with dignity," stated the Primate of the OCU.
The Kyiv Metropolis urges the episcopate, clergy, and faithful of the OCU to pray for the repose of the soul of the newly departed Patriarch Filaret. They will soon announce the official schedule for the farewell, funeral service, and burial of the late Patriarch.
Biographical Note
Honorary Patriarch Filaret of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine, born Mykhailo Antonovych Denysenko, was a retired hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. He was born on January 23, 1929, in the village of Blahodatne, located in the Amvrosiivskyi District of Donetsk Oblast. He was the son of Anton and Melania Denysenko and lost his father, who died on the front lines of World War II in 1943. This event profoundly influenced the young Mykhailo, leading him to turn deeply to his faith and resolve to devote his life to serving the Church, despite the challenges posed by Soviet atheistic propaganda.
From 1946 to 1948, he studied at the Odesa Theological Seminary, graduating with honors. He then continued his studies at the Moscow Theological Academy. On January 1, 1950, at the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, he was tonsured a monk, taking the name Filaret in honor of the righteous Filaret the Merciful. He was ordained a hierodeacon on January 15 of that same year, and on Holy Trinity Day, June 18, 1951, he was elevated to the rank of hieromonk.
In 1952, he completed his studies at the Moscow Theological Academy, earning a degree of Candidate of Theology. He was appointed as a professor of Holy Scripture at the Moscow Theological Seminary, where he also served as dean of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. From 1953 onward, he taught at the Moscow Theological Academy.
During the 1953–1954 academic year, the Academic Council of the Moscow Theological Academy awarded him the title of associate professor. In 1956, he became inspector of the Saratov Theological Seminary and was elevated to the rank of igumen. The following year, in 1957, he was transferred to the Kyiv Theological Seminary as inspector and, on July 12, 1958, was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and appointed rector of the seminary.
In 1960, he was appointed administrator of the Ukrainian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church and became rector of St. Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kyiv. He also served as the rector of the Russian Orthodox Church's mission at the Patriarchate of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt, from June 1961 to January 1962.
On February 4, 1962, in Leningrad, he was consecrated as the Bishop of Luzhsk, serving as a vicar of the Leningrad Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. He also acted as the head of the Riga Diocese during this time. From October 1962 to December 1964, he served as the Bishop of Vienna and Austria for the Russian Orthodox Church. Following this, from December 1964 to May 1966, he served as the Bishop of Dmitrov and as the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary.
On May 14, 1966, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop and appointed as a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, Exarch of Ukraine, and Archbishop of Kyiv and Halych. In 1968, he was further elevated to the rank of Metropolitan. From May to June 1990, he served as Locum Tenens of the Moscow Patriarchal See and presided over the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church that year.
With the transformation of the Ukrainian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church into the administratively independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Bishops' Council of the UOC unanimously elected him as Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Primate of the UOC (within the Russian Orthodox Church) in July 1990. The UOC Council confirmed this election on November 1–3, 1991, expressing confidence in him as the Primate.
In light of Ukraine's restored independence, he convened and presided over the Council of the UOC on November 1–3, 1991, which unanimously supported granting the UOC autocephaly. This stance led to pressure from the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church, which sought to prevent the independence of the Ukrainian Church at all costs. In May 1992, he was effectively removed from leadership due to decisions that did not comply with the UOC's statutes. Later, by a decision of the Bishops' Council of the ROC, he was declared "deposed." He never recognized this decision, deeming it canonically unfounded, and appealed to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, renewing this appeal several times, most recently in 2018.
On June 25, 1992, at the Unification Council in Kyiv, he supported the decision to merge the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) into the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP). Following this decision, he was appointed Deputy Patriarch with the title of Metropolitan of Kyiv.
After being elected as the Primate of the UOC-KP on October 22, 1995, his enthronement took place at St. Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kyiv, where he received the title "His Holiness the Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine."
On October 11, 2018, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate reviewed appeals regarding the "defrocking" of Metropolitan Filaret by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1992 and deemed it non-canonical. Consequently, he was readmitted to communion as the former Metropolitan of Kyiv.
In line with prior agreements, the Bishops' Council of the UOC-KP convened a Local Council at the Church of St. Sophia the Little in Kyiv on December 15, 2018. This council decided to terminate the UOC-KP's separate existence and join the unified Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). As per the Statute of the OCU adopted at the Unification Council, he became a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the OCU, taking on the role of Honorary Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine, as well as serving as head of a separate diocese in Kyiv.
He has received numerous ecclesiastical and secular honors for his contributions to the church, the community, and peacekeeping efforts. In January 2019, he was awarded the highest state honor, the title of Hero of Ukraine.
