Synod of Kyivan Patriarchate Invites Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church To Choose Time and Place of Meeting on Dialogue on Unification

On October 21, under the chairmanship of Patriarch Filaret of Kyiv and All Rus, a session of the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP) was held. The synod, in particular, heard a report of Patriarch Filaret on the dialogue between the Kyivan Patriarchate and Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) regarding the unification in one national Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The synod passed a decision to support the joint initiative of the head of the Kyivan Patriarchate, Patriarch Filaret and the head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Mefodii as to overcoming the divide of the Ukrainian Orthodoxy and establishment of one Local Orthodox Ukrainian Church.

Representatives of the UOC-KP stressed that the Kyivan Patriarchate is open to dialogue on church unity with everyone supporting the necessity of establishment in Ukraine of one national Orthodox church.

The Synod of UOC-KP stressed that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew gave his blessing for the dialogue on unification of the UOC-KP and UAOC, which is indicated by “Symphoniticon” and other documents signed by representatives of the Kyivan Patriarchate and UAOC in 2000-2001, at the Patriarchate in Constantinople.

The Synod of UOC-KP passed a decision to invariably support the necessity of continuation of the dialogue between all the branches of the Ukrainian Orthodoxy as to overcoming the existing Church divide and establishment of one Local Orthodox Ukrainian Church on the basis of autocephaly.

At the same time, the Synod of UOC-KP stated that at this stage, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate for various reasons shows that it is not ready to continue such a dialogue either with the Kyivan Patriarchate or UAOC which is indicated by the lack of practical activity of the committees of UOC-MP in the recent years. Therefore, according to UOC-KP, a dialogue on church unity is possible only between UOC-KP and UAOC.

The synod supported the decision to set up a committee to conduct the dialogue. The committee is to be composed of its head, Metropolitan Dymytrii of Lviv and Sokal, Bishop Epifanii of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi and Boryspil, Bishop Yevstratii of Bohuslav. The committee carries out its practical activity under the general leadership of Patriarch Filaret.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate offered the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church to define the time, place and agenda of the first meeting of the committees on the dialogue.