Synod of OCU approves lifetime rights of Patriarch Emeritus Filaret

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church), 5 December 2019 considered the position of Patriarch Emeritus Filaret and steps to ensure the conditions of his life and activities in connection with the completion of liquidation of the religious organization “Kyiv Patriarchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate.”

The Synod adopted the following decisions:

1. Considering past special merits in the development of the Church and in order to ensure decent conditions of life of Patriarch Emeritus Filaret after the completion of the liquidation of the religious organization "Kyiv Patriarchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate" and given the position of Patriarch Emeritus Filaret, it was decided to set up a religious organization within the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in the form of the mission.

2. Patriarch Emeritus Filaret enjoys the right to lifetime residence and uses for his activities of the estate located at Kyiv, Pushkinskaya street, 36.

3. Patriarch Emeritus Filaret enjoys a lifetime right to lead the worship in St. Volodymyr's Cathedral of Kyiv.

4. The lifetime financial support of Patriarch Emeritus Filaret and the financing of the religious organization in the form of a mission is carried out at the expense of contributions from the St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral of Kyiv and voluntary donations.

We emphasize that the repeatedly disseminated opinions alleging that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine "wants to throw Patriarch Filaret out into the street" do not correspond to reality and unreasonably provoke misunderstandings among believers and the public.

This is reported by the press service of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).