Statement of the UOC-MP hierarchs condemning decisions of the ROC Synod was issued 'behind Metropolitan Onufriy's back' - BBC Ukraine

As noted by the BBC, all interlocutors say that this statement is not an initiative of Metropolitan Onufriy aimed at “letting off steam”, etc. It seems that it indeed was made behind his back and without his support.

Another important point is that everyone says that Metropolitan Agafangel of Odesa is the driving force behind the statement. Although there are many influential bishops and metropolitans among the signatories, some of the participants are close to him. According to interlocutors, Agafangel had longstanding friendly relations with Hilarion of Donetsk, so he could have started such activity when the latter was removed by Moscow in late October, and the UOC-MP remained silent.

Perhaps this is why, as the Church jokes, he was not so active in opposing the annexation of the diocese by the Russian Orthodox Church last year, when the UOC Metropolitan Lazar retired in the Simferopol diocese, and a Russian was appointed instead. Although Lazar was a well-respected figure in the UOC, no one came to his defense.

Agafangel himself is a permanent member of the UOC-MP Synod, has great influence on the church, and was once considered pro-Russian. However, he has recently made blunt statements against Moscow, especially when a Russian missile destroyed the UOC Cathedral in Odesa.

Another important nuance is that many in the UOC-MP viewed the initiative of the 31 bishops as an attempt to glorify Hilarion of Donetsk. This is not recommended in the church, because, according to interlocutors, Hilarion himself recently signed an appeal to the Russian Orthodox Church to take his diocese into its fold (he hoped that he would still be retained, but he was mistaken).

Hilarion was expelled from the Synod of the UOC-MP for this, and the Sviatohirsk Lavra was taken from his subordination. According to the UOC, they wanted to settle the issue without a scandal, but now the appeal of 31 bishops will bring all the details of this story to light.

On the other hand, many bishops in the Church simply do not want to remain silent and watch the ROC dismantle the UOC-MP. Regardless of their ties to Agafangel.

Their position was quite eloquently expressed the day before by Archbishop Iona, the abbot of St. Jonas' Monastery in Kyiv.

“The UOC raided the Donetsk diocese, and Metropolitan Hilarion, who opposed it, was retired,” he wrote very emotionally. No wonder he was among the signatories of the statement.

What are the consequences?

Concurrently, the UOC-MP informally says that this statement will not have any serious consequences for the Church. “The UOC has always been democratic in this regard, and has not been repressed for expressing opinions,” says the source.

Moreover, the Church says, this situation is not related to the desire of the bishops for quick autocephaly or any sudden moves towards the OCU or Constantinople, bypassing the Primate.

However, as many observers have pointed out, such a blunt statement bypassing Metropolitan Onufriy may still be the first wake-up call to the Primate that something is wrong in his 'kingdom' and that he should finally start making moves to save and develop the UOC-MP.

It should be noted that in March 2022, a dozen and a half bishops announced (without a decision of the Synod or Onufriy) that they would no longer commemorate Kirill. The initiative came 'from the below', and in May there was a conciliar decision to completely stop commemorating Kirill. Although not everyone still adheres to it.