The UOC of the Kyiv Patriarchate ceased to exist

Comment: Wrong decision of Patriarch Bartholomew

The creation of a new independent church in Ukraine has drawn criticism in the Orthodox world.
The special status of the Patriarchate of Constantinople is a relic of the past, says Miodrag Soric. (01/10/2019) Zorya also published screenshots from the website of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, confirming that the religious organizations of the UOC-KP and UAOC have ceased their work.

Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine

At the beginning of December 2021, the unifying local council in Kyiv decided to create a single OCU and elected Metropolitan Epiphanius as its primate. The OCU included in full force the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

On January 5, 2021, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed a tomos granting the OCU autocephaly, and the next day handed it over to Epiphanius. At the end of May 2021, Epiphanius invalidated all documents of the UOC-KP issued after January 30. Bartholomew stated that he does not recognize the UOC-KP.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate also operates in Ukraine, which did not recognize the decision of the unifying local council and considers the council itself non-canonical.

See also:

• How the Orthodox were united in Ukraine

“This is not a Church, but a gathering of mummers”

Sergei Baranchuk , journalist, parishioner of St. Nicholas Church, town. Strizhavka, Vinnytsia district:

“The so-called UOC-KP differs in that it is not a Church, but a gathering of mummers - a fake “church.” There is no grace there, because it is self-made - it did not receive legal autocephaly from the Mother Church of the Russian Orthodox Church. Therefore, this is a schism, an arbitrary gathering of mummers, for whom it is not Christ who is God, but the personal ambitions of the false patriarch Denisenko and “nationalist itch.” This is a sect - this pseudo-church is not recognized by the entire Orthodox world. For in this so-called “church” of the UOC-KP, pride and lust for power rule the roost, there is a graceless desert, there salvation is impossible. All the Sacraments there are invalid: people who were baptized there were not actually baptized, those who got married there were not married, those who confessed there did not receive absolution, etc.”

Metropolitan Epifaniy became the primate

Metropolitan Epifaniy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (center) was elected primate of the local Orthodox Church in Ukraine. He is considered the closest associate of the Patriarch of the UOC-KP Filaret. Filaret himself did not put forward his candidacy. Metropolitan Simeon of Vinnitsa, a representative of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate, was considered one of the likely contenders for the post of head of the new church.

“The service was conducted in a language I understood”

Evgeny Frolov , editor-in-chief of the RIA weekly:

“What I noticed for myself during the baptism of my niece in the Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate was that the service was conducted in a language I understood. Unlike the service in the “Moscow Patriarchate”, where they speak Church Slavonic, which to me sounds exactly the same as Latin or any other language unfamiliar to me.

In general, I don’t go to church. But when I hear the service of the “Moscow Patriarchate,” I don’t understand a word—I rarely catch any words. At the services of the “Kyiv Patriarchate” everything is clear. This is a defining moment for me."

"Big State Question"

In his speech at the council, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko thanked Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the participants of the council and “everyone who believed that this was possible,” “who fought for it.” “A big state issue is being resolved now,” the president continued. “And I want to say to those who have gathered: you are direct participants in the formation of the Ukrainian independent church.”

“They have a completely different point of view.”

Arina Kontonistova , journalist, parishioner of the temple in honor of John of Kronstadt, Vinnitsa:

“There was a family and it split. Someone has gone in the other direction, says the same prayers, but thinks completely differently. But God is love, and everyone must make peace. A split has occurred: they read prayers in Ukrainian, they have a completely different point of view about today's events in Ukraine. They are for Europe, they are for the fact that everyone is to blame. In our churches they didn’t give blessings to go to the Maidan, but there, on the contrary, everyone lived by the Maidan.

And my point of view: if there is a dispute, then both sides did something wrong. I was told many times about the split from our side, but I can never remember this essence, the reason for it all. It seems that Filaret wanted to create a Ukrainian Church, but they didn’t let him. And not one of the Local Orthodox Churches in the world recognized the “Kiev Patriarchate”. But for me the most important thing is when all people live peacefully, amicably and fruitfully.”

Thousands of believers from all over Ukraine

Thousands of believers from all regions of Ukraine gathered on Sophia Square, most of them came to the capital in an organized manner. A large screen was installed on the square to broadcast the prayer service, as well as speeches by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from Constantinople. Security measures have been strengthened in the center of Kyiv.

“I am very far from all this”

Oksana Nestorovich , art critic:

“I can’t answer this question, because I don’t follow the life of either church. I am very far from all this. Of course, there is probably some difference, but I don’t know what it is. In addition, one church belongs to the Moscow Patriarchate, and the other to the Kyiv Patriarchate. Well, probably, there is the Kyiv Patriarchate. Doesn’t Kyiv have its own patriarchy?!”

Decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

The Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to begin the procedure for granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church in October. The decree of 1686 was repealed, according to which the Kiev Metropolis came under the jurisdiction of Moscow, and the canonical status of the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Patriarch of Kyiv Philaret, and the head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Macarius, was restored.

“I don’t have any blatant stereotypes”

Olga Yurkova , journalist, magazine “Kraina”, Kiev:

“The UOC, after all, is strongly influenced by Russia. The UOC-KP has a clearly pro-Ukrainian position on issues of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The UOC often conducts services and sermons in Russian. The UOC is intolerant of other faiths (I don’t know if this is actually true, but there is such a stereotype). I, after all, am a parishioner of the UOC, so I don’t have any blatant stereotypes.”

“For me there is no difference, but the “Kiev Patriarchate” is closer”

Natalya Tarnopolskaya , PR specialist, Kiev:

“The Ukrainian patriarchy is closer to me. I understand that according to the canonical laws of the Church they are not recognized anywhere, but who wrote the laws is not clear to me. Because there is the Bible, and I, as a believer and student of the Bible, can use it to guide my faith and actions. And the laws written somewhere there by priests are incomprehensible to me. Moreover, in the Bible Jesus says that the assembly of priests is becoming obsolete, because there are a lot of sins among the priests. Faith and God are one, and the assembly of priests needs to be liquidated. This is not accurate, this is how I understood it, I read the Bible in the Ukrainian version - the way I see it for myself. For me, as a believer, there is a law - this is the Bible. But I consider the non-recognition of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to be wrong - for me it is recognized. Because if Kirill and the Synod gather there and argue, for me this is not an indicator of whether it is legal or illegal.

I come to the Orthodox Church of the Kyiv or Moscow Patriarchate - for me there is no difference. I come to a prayed place and pray. And all these rules are unacceptable to me. But it’s unpleasant for me when in the church of the Moscow Patriarchate at the end of the service they praise Kirill. Because I listen to his various statements and it’s unpleasant for me. And the “Kiev Patriarchate” is closer to me, because when I stand at the service, I understand what is being said, I hear the speech and understand the meaning of the prayer.

Of course, I have no knowledge, and I myself cannot understand where it is better and where it is worse. So it would be interesting to read what priests have to say about these differences.”

“There is no grace of the Holy Spirit and no apostolic succession”

Priest Alexander Lapko , rector of the temple in honor of the High Priest Martyr Stephen, p. Chernyatyn, Vinnytsia region:

“The Church in society does not take on any particular role as a charitable organization or body providing assistance. The Church is guided by the Holy Spirit and governed through the Holy Sacraments.

The Church is the Body of Christ the Savior, and the head of the Church is Jesus Christ Himself, and we are living members of this organism. In addition, there is apostolic succession in the Church, and grace was transmitted from Christ to the apostles, and from the apostles to their disciples, bishops and priests, who are followers.

Christ said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven; on whomever you leave it, it will remain on him.” And again: “And I say to you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

According to the definition of the Ecumenical Councils, which through apostolic succession have the grace of the Holy Spirit, everyone who rejects the unity of the Church through schism, through disobedience to a higher hierarchy, becomes excommunicated from the unity of the Ecumenical Church.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is one of 15 canonical Churches. And whoever leaves unity with the Universal Church completely loses the grace of the Holy Spirit, which guides all service and the performance of the Sacraments. The sacraments lose their power because there is no grace on them. Therefore, the services of schismatics are graceless and blasphemous.

This is the main difference between the so-called. “Kyiv Patriarchate” from the canonical churches - they do not have the grace of the Holy Spirit, and there is no apostolic succession. This is the most basic thing. Apparently it looks like a church-wide service - there are even schismatic communities in which they serve in Church Slavonic, but they commemorate not the Patriarch, but schismatic hierarchs. These services are not valid, canonical, because these churches are not in communion with the Universal Church. There are Apostolic Canons that regulate these concepts. For an ordinary person who has never come into contact with church laws, this can be very difficult.

Therefore, it is important to understand that there is a canonical Church, legally inherited from Christ the Savior, and there are churches that have taken the path of schism and disagreement.”