The OCU has established a Chaplain Mission to help the faithful outside of Ukraine

18.10.2022, 14:25
Orthodox
The OCU has established a Chaplain Mission to help the faithful outside of Ukraine - фото 1
On October 18, 2022, a regular meeting of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was held in the Synodal Hall of the Metropolitan house – the residence of the Primate of the Orthodox Church at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral. The meeting was attended by ten members of the Holy Synod. His Grace Klyment, Metropolitan of Simferopol and Crimea, and His Grace Oleksandr, Metropolitan of Pereyaslavl and Vishneve, were absent for a valid reason.

According to the official website of the OCU, the Holy Synod recognized the need to re-publicly express its attitude to the systematic violation of the rights of communities wishing to withdraw from the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and other problematic issues of state-church relations and adopted a statement on this issue.

The Synod heard and took into account information on foreign visits to Greece and Cyprus in September 2022 and on the participation of OCU observers in the work of the 11th assembly of the World Council of Churches in the city of Karlsruhe (Germany).

In order to organize service for the OCU faithful who were forced to temporarily leave Ukraine as a result of the war, the "Mission of chaplain's assistance to the OCU faithful who are temporarily outside Ukraine as a result of the war" (the OCU chaplain's mission) was established, headed by Archbishop Hilarion of Rivne and Ostroh.

On the issue of guardianship of Orthodox believers abroad, the Synod sent a letter to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and a second letter to Metropolitan Savva of Warsaw and All-Poland.

In connection with the introduction by the legislation of Ukraine of new rules for the implementation of military chaplaincy service, a decision on "Issues of further organization of military chaplaincy" was approved.

On the recommendation of the diocesan bishops, Vicars of monasteries were appointed in the Ivano-Frankivsk-Galician and Vinnytsia-Tulchyn dioceses.

The Synod blessed the church-wide veneration of the Wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God of Iveron (Myrrh-Streaming), which is located in the Diocese of Vinnytsia-Bar, defining October 26 (October 13, old style) as the day of its veneration.

Decision No. 19 was also adopted "On the possibility of performing a divine service in honor of the Nativity of Christ according to the New Julian calendar on December 25, 2022".

In addition, some other current issues were considered, and clarifications were provided.