Synod of Kyivan Patriarchate Inquires About Position of UGCC on Repeated Baptism

The Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP) on 20 October addressed the clergy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) with the request to state their position regarding the rite of baptism performed in UOC-KP, the website of the UOC-KP reported.

In their letter to the head of UGCC, Patriarch Sviatoslav, Patriarch Filaret and the bishops of UOC-KP noted that in the recent years they called on the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate “to stop violating the Creed, dogmas and canons of the Orthodox Church by “repeated baptism” of people who already received the Sacrament of Baptism in the UOC-Kyivan Patriarchate.”

“Unfortunately, neither the ROC nor the UOC-MP were able to pass an official decision to stop this shameful practice or a dogmatic and canonical explanation of the grounds for using it during these years,” state the participants of the Synod of UOC-KP.

In view of the close cooperation between the UOC-KP and the UGCC, the Bishops of the UOC-KP decided also to inquire about the position of the Greek Catholic clergy in this regard.