UAOC Council Obliged its Head to Mention in Prayer Name of Ecumenical Patriarch

KYIV – The hierarchical council of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) of July 16 passed six decrees on the future activity of the church.  The question of the prayer and canonic unity of the UAOC with the fullness of the Ecumenical Orthodoxy is set out in the Decree 1 of the council. In this way the UAOC is going to show a sign of visible communication not only with Constantinople but with the world Orthodoxy.

The council decreed the following:

1. To canonically oblige the head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church to mention in prayer the name of His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch during the Divine Liturgy and other divine services;

2. The mentioning of His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch is to be carried out with the following formulation: “Our All Holly Father (name), Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch”;

3. The mentioning of the name of His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch to be considered the attribute of the visible canonical communication with the Ecumenical Constantinople See and thereby with the whole fullness of Orthodoxy on the part of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church;

4. This decree is to be valid until the moment of official recognition of the canonical independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is the Mother Church of the Kyivan Metropolitanate from the historic viewpoint.

5. In view of the current status of relations between the national Orthodox churches, this canonical step is to be viewed as promoting e inclusion of the UAOC in the full prayer and Eucharistic communication in the future.