UOC (MP) Synod sets up a commission for dialogue with the UAOC

On June 24, at a meeting the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) heard a report by Metropolitan Mitrofan of Luhansk and Alchevsk, Head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the election of a new Primate of the UAOC.

The bishops of the UOC (MP) resolved:

Consider expedient to continue the work of the Commission for the dialogue with the UAOC and approve its updated membership:

1) Metropolitan Feodor of Kamyanets-Podilskyy and Horodok, head of the ecclesiastical court of the UOC - Chairman;

2) Metropolitan Avhustyn of Bila Tserkva and Bohuslav, chairman of the Theological Canonical Commission to the Holy Synod of the UOC;

3) Bishop Filaret of Lviv and Galicia;

4) Archpriest Mykolai Danylevych, Deputy Head of the Department for External Church Relations;

5) Volodymyr Burega, Viceprincipal for scientific and theological work of the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary.

This was indicated in journal 26 of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).

As RISU has previously reported, the active dialogue on unification of the two Churches is ongoing between the UAOC and the UOC-KP. On June 8, 2015 in St. Michael's Monastery, a joint meeting of the Committees of the UOC Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church was held. According to the results of this work a document - the final decision, was adopted. According to this document, on September 14, 2015 the Unification Council is to be convened. The venue of the Unification Council is suggested to be Saint Sophia Cathedral. All proposals regarding the terms of association approved UAOC (4-5 June 2015) and the Holy Synod of the UOC KP (12 May 2015), including the issue of the Primate and the name of the united Church, shall be submitted to the Unification Council. The decisions on all issues will be mad by majority vote at the Council.