Unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy proceeds from bottom to top - Patriarch Filaret comments on transitions from UOC (MP) to UOC-KP

Patriarch Filaret spoke about his vision of the model of unity of the Ukrainian Orthodox in an interview for the newspaper “Day”.

On the question of: “What you see obstacles in the inability to implement this model of unity of Ukrainian Orthodoxy?”

Patriarch Filaret said: "There is one and most important obstacle - Moscow's influence on the Ukrainian Church, as there is dependence that prevents clergy fully supporting their people in the fight against the aggressor. The war really shows who is who, because unfortunately there are priests and bishops of the Orthodox Church, calling Putin to come and save Ukraine. Ordinary believers see this “fifth column” and do not want to belong to it, so the parishes transfer from the UOC to the UOC-KP. This is the process of unification, but it is a bottom-up process. In large cities, these transitions proceed smoothly, but in small villages, where there is only parish, a real struggle evolves. Of course, this process can be accelerated provided that the Kyiv Patriarchate is recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarch as an autocephalous Church. This in turn will enable not only the faithful but the clergy to make transitions.”