Representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP) are convinced that deprivation of the UOC-Moscow Patriarchate’s status of independence and self-government would turn it into a puppet of the Russian Church and state power.
In view thereof, the hierarchy of the UOC-KP passed an address of the UOC-KP to bishops, priests and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate explaining the essence of the plans of the Moscow Patriarchate and the real consequences of the attempts “to bring the Statutes of the UOC in line with the Statutes of the ROC.”
UOC-KP representatives stressed that to their knowledge, Metropolitan Ilarion of the UOC-MP made a confidential visit to Moscow where he met with the Patriarch of Moscow and received a proposal from him “to bring the Statutes of the UOC in line with the Statutes of ROC.” In his turn, Metropolitan Ilarion hopes for assistance of the Moscow Patriarchate in proposing him as a candidate for the post of the head of UOC-MP after Metropolitan Volodymyr’s death or retirement.