Filaret Denisenko (Ukrainian religious figure)

Denisenko Mikhail Antonovich

Filaret (Denisenko), Antonov

1929

split

Third generation of modernists

Graduated from: Odessa Theological Seminary

,
MDA
Taught at: MDS

,
Saratov Theological Seminary
,
KDS
Organizations: DECR, Commission at the Holy Synod for the development of a catalog of themes of the Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council, Inter-Orthodox Commission for the preparation of the Holy and Great Council, Synodal Biblical-Theological Commission, Synodal Liturgical Commission, All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, KCMD, Religions for peace (organization), Liturgical group of the Commission of the Holy Synod for the preparation and conduct of the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia

Direction: ecumenism, world studies, Church reform, Ukrainian autocephaly

Modernism

(1929) - figure in Church reform, participant in ecumenical contacts and ecumenical prayers. KGB agent "Antonov". Former bishop of the Orthodox Church, deposed on June 11, 1992, anathematized on February 21, 1997.

education

In 1946, after graduating from high school, he entered the third grade of the Odessa Theological Seminary.

In 1948, after graduating from the seminary, he entered the Moscow Theological Academy. In 1952 he graduated from the MDA with a candidate's degree in theology.

In 1952 he was appointed teacher of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament at the Moscow Theological Seminary. In March 1954, he received the rank of associate professor and was appointed senior assistant inspector. In August 1956, he was appointed inspector of the Saratov Theological Seminary. Since 1957 - inspector of the Kyiv Theological Seminary. On July 12, 1958, he was appointed rector of the Kyiv Theological Seminary. He served as rector until the seminary was closed in 1960.

Since December 22, 1964, rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary.

hierarchy

On January 1, 1950, he was tonsured a monk.

On January 15, 1950, Patriarch Alexy I ordained him as a hierodeacon. In 1952, on the day of Pentecost, he was ordained hieromonk. In August 1956 he was elevated to the rank of abbot. On July 12, 1958, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.

On February 4, 1962, he was consecrated Bishop of Luga, vicar of the Leningrad diocese, and appointed administrator of the Riga diocese. The rite of consecration was performed by: Metropolitan of Leningrad and Ladoga Pimen (Izvekov), Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov Nikodim (Rotov) and bishops: Kazan and Mari Mikhail (Voskresensky), Tambov and Michurinsky Mikhail (Chub), Novgorod and Starorussky Sergius (Golubtsov), Dmitrovsky Kiprian (Zernov), Kostroma and Galich Nikodim (Rusnak).

On June 16, 1962, he was relieved of his duties as vicar of the Leningrad diocese and appointed vicar of the Central European Exarchate with temporary management of the Central European Exarchate. On October 10, 1962, he was released from the temporary administration of the Central European Exarchate and on November 16 of the same year he was appointed Bishop of Vienna and Austria. Since December 22, 1964 - Bishop of Dmitrov, vicar of the Moscow diocese. Since May 14, 1966 - Archbishop of Kiev and Galicia, Exarch of Ukraine. On February 25, 1968, he was elevated to the rank of metropolitan.

On May 3, 1990, he was elected Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne after the death of Patriarch Pimen.

On July 9, 1990, the episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church unanimously elected its primate. The Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on October 25-27, 1990 transformed the Ukrainian Exarchate into the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church received the title “Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine”; within this Church he was given the title “Most Blessed.” The text of the Patriarchal letter dated October 27, 1990 includes a blessing for Philaret to be the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church[1].

On November 1, 1991, the Bishops' Council of the UOC unanimously adopted a decision on complete independence, that is, autocephaly, of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and turned to Patriarch Alexy II and the episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church for approval of this decision. Later, at the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow on April 2, 1992, almost all Ukrainian bishops withdrew their signatures, explaining their vote by threats and pressure from Filaret. Also, at the Council, appeals and telegrams were read from the clergy and laity of Ukraine with requests to stop the forcibly imposed autocephaly of the UOC. Having heard all the arguments of supporters and opponents of autocephaly, the Council transferred consideration of the issue to the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. Filaret gave his archpastoral word to resign. However, having returned to Kiev, he announced to the flock that he did not recognize the charges brought against him allegedly for his request to grant independence to the Ukrainian Church and that he would lead the Ukrainian Orthodox Church until the end of his days, since he was “given by God to Ukrainian Orthodoxy”[2]. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church twice called on Filaret to fulfill the promises he made before the Cross and the Gospel, but Filaret ignored all appeals, enlisting the support of some radical Ukrainian deputies and nationalist public figures. After unsuccessful appeals to Philaret, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church instructed the oldest ordained bishop of Ukraine, Metropolitan Nikodim (Rusnak) of Kharkov, to convene a Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Church to resolve the issue of the further ministry of Metropolitan Philaret. Filaret was invited to the Council, but ignored this invitation, trying to put pressure on the members of the Council through nationalist-minded politicians in the Ukrainian parliament.

On May 27, 1992, under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Nikodim (Rusnak) of Kharkov, the Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Kharkov (consisting of 18 bishops) “expressed no confidence in Metropolitan Philaret (Denisenko) and dismissed him from the Kyiv See <...> prohibited him from serving in the priesthood until decisions of the Bishops’ Council of the Mother Church”[3].

Deposed on June 11, 1992, anathematized on February 21, 1997.

Problems of recognition and activities in Ukraine

It must be said that during the years of his reign, Filaret created a fairly large church - as of 2021, there were up to 6 thousand parishes. This is half that of the canonical UOC, but more than that of the Greek Catholics.

Such growth for a church that is not recognized by anyone in the world is amazing. If you don’t take into account Filaret’s friendship with the Ukrainian authorities (let’s remember this gift of Mikhail Denisenko - to build bridges with any government: be it communists or nationalists).

Since the time of Kravchuk, the Ukrainian elite has headed towards creating “its own church.” The more cautious Leonid Kuchma also supported this process, although without quarreling with representatives of other faiths. And Viktor Yushchenko became the first president who openly supported the Kiev Patriarchate and began to seek its recognition through the alternative center of Orthodoxy - Constantinople.

Relations with all these presidents helped Filaret “knock out” such shrines as St. Vladimir’s Cathedral and St. Sophia of Kyiv for the Kyiv Patriarchate.

Under Yanukovych, the process slowed down a bit, Denisenko recalls.

“Yanukovych treated us negatively. He gave the command to transfer the parishes of the Kyiv Patriarchate to the Moscow Patriarchate in the regions. And when the local authorities began to implement this order, we made a noise to the whole world and stopped this process,” the patriarch said recently in an interview with TSN.

“Other presidents - Kravchuk, Kuchma, Yushchenko, Poroshenko - all supported. Kuchma didn’t support it at first, but then he saw that our church was useful to the state,” he recalled.

The support of four out of five presidents took place against the backdrop of the de facto schismatic status of the UOC of the Kyiv Patriarchate. His priests refused to serve in all Orthodox churches in the world. A mystical aspect was also added: despite the visible growth of parishes, for some reason there were negligibly few monks in the church of Philaret, favored by the state.

Here are the statistics for 2021: for six thousand parishes there are only 231 monastics. The Greek Catholics, with a smaller number of churches, have almost two thousand monks, while the UOC MP has almost five thousand.

Monasticism is the salt of classical Christianity. And its absence suggests that the Kiev Patriarchate is more a political than a religious project.

However, Filaret himself never hid this. He said that the task of the Ukrainian church is to support the independence of the state. And he responded to problems with recognition with maximalism - if neither Moscow nor Constantinople gives Ukraine a full-fledged patriarchy, then we do not need such recognition (quote given above).

church positions

On January 1, 1950, he was appointed acting caretaker of the Patriarchal Apartments in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Since 1952, he served as dean of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Since 1960 he was the manager of the affairs of the Ukrainian Exarchate. From May 1961 to January 1962 - rector of the Russian Orthodox Church metochion under the Patriarchate of Alexandria in Alexandria (Egypt).

On February 22, 1965, he was appointed chairman of the Commission for the preparation of materials for the Theological Encyclopedia. Since May 14, 1966, permanent member of the Holy Synod.

On March 20, 1969, he was included in the Commission of the Holy Synod on Christian Unity, and from December 16 of the same year - chairman of the branch of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate in Kyiv.

On June 25, 1970, he was appointed a member of the Commission of the Holy Synod for the preparation of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.

On March 3, 1976, he was elected to the Holy Synod Commission on Christian Unity and Inter-Church Relations.

On November 16, 1979, he was appointed chairman of the Holy Synod Commission on Christian Unity.

ecumenism

Participant in the ecumenical symposium “Local Church and Universal Church” (November 27, 1980), organized by the Pro Oriente Uniate Foundation.

Member of the Sixth General Assembly of the World Council of Churches (1983).

Participant in prayer in Assisi (1986).

Member of the interreligious initiative group of heads and representatives of churches and religious associations of the Soviet Union (March 1991)[4].

• Interviews with representatives of the Evangelical Church of Germany "Arnoldshain-VII" May 25 - June 10, 1976.
• Denisenko and John Paul II.
• Denisenko and John Paul II.

worldology

Chairman of the Committee for the Continuation of the Works of the Christian Peace Conference. Participant of the Third All-Christian Peace Congress (Prague, March 31 - April 5, 1968).

Participant of the Second and Third World Conferences of the Religions for Peace organization (Louvain, 1974 and Princeton, 1979). Vice President of Religions for Peace.

Participant in the conference “Religious leaders for saving the sacred gift of life from a nuclear disaster” (1982). Member of the World Assembly “For Peace and Life, Against Nuclear War” (Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1983).

events

• III General Assembly of the WCC (November 19, 1961)
• Church and Society (conference) (July 12, 1966)
• Consultation on the Responsibility of Churches in International Affairs, The Hague, 1967 (12 April 1967)
• Nyborg-V (assembly) (29 September 1967)
• III All-Christian Peace Congress (March 31, 1968)
• IV General Assembly of the WCC (4 July 1968)
• Conference of Representatives of All Religions in the USSR for Cooperation and Peace among Nations (July 1, 1969)
• World Congress of Peace Forces, 1973 (25 October 1973)
• Ecumenical prayer during the World Congress of Peace Forces (October 27, 1973)
• II World Conference “Religions for Peace” (August 28, 1974)
• The Challenges of Christians in the Face of Human Rights and Disarmament (Discussion) (July 23, 1975)
• V General Assembly of the WCC (November 23, 1975)
• Arnoldshain-VII (25 May 1976)
• Interview between representatives of the Union of Evangelical Churches in the GDR and the Russian Orthodox Church, 1976 (September 13, 1976)
• First Pre-Conciliar Meeting (November 21, 1976)
• 22nd International Congress of Old Catholics (2 May 1978)
• V All-Christian Peace Congress (June 22, 1978)
• III interview between theologians of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Union of Evangelical Churches in the GDR (October 1, 1978)
• V theological interview with representatives of the Roman Catholic Church (April 25, 1979)
• III World Conference "Religions for Peace" (August 29, 1979)
• Religious Leaders for Saving the Sacred Gift of Life from Nuclear Disaster (Conference) (May 10, 1982)
• Second Pre-Conciliar Meeting (September 3, 1982)
• Karlovy Vary-V (October 5, 1982)
• For peace and life, against nuclear war (assembly) (21 June 1983)
• VI General Assembly of the WCC (24 July 1983)
• Meeting of the Inter-Orthodox Commission for the preparation of the Holy and Great Council, 1986 (February 15, 1986)
• Millennium of the Baptism of Rus' (conference) (July 21, 1986)
• Prayer in Assisi (27 October 1986)
• Third Pre-Conciliar Meeting (October 28, 1986)
• Meeting of the Presidium of the Christian Peace Conference in Kyiv. November 1986. (November 24, 1986)
• Meeting of the Presidium of KMK. 1986 (November 24, 1986)
• V Conference of the “Round Table” of the Soviet-Japanese public (December 1, 1986)
• For a nuclear-free world, for the survival of humanity (forum) (February 14, 1987)
• Meeting of KOPR KhMK, 1988 (October 17, 1988)
• V World Conference “Religions for Peace” (January 8, 1989)
• Meeting of the Presidium of KMK. 1989 (29 October 1989)
• Negotiations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church on the problem of Eastern Rite Catholics (January 13, 1990)
• Prayer service for Ukraine (February 5, 2010)
• Prayer for Ukraine, 2015 (August 24, 2015)
• Prayer for Ukraine, 2021 (August 24, 2017)
• Prayer for Ukraine, 2021 (August 24, 2018)

[edit] Links

• PatriarchPhilaret – Facebook account

essays

• Thoth, Karoli;
  Mirzejowski, Lubomir; Filaret (Denisenko) . His Eminence Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna, Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations, thanks for his greeting to the participants of the meeting of the Presidium of the Christian Peace Conference (Kyiv, December 6-8, 1978) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1979. - No. 2. - P. 40.
• Thoth, Karoli;
  Mirzejowski, Lubomir; Filaret (Denisenko) . To His Excellency Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (address of the KMK Working Committee in Kyiv (March 28 - April 1, 1981)) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1981. - No. 6. - P. 43-44.
• Thoth, Karoli;
  Mirzejowski, Lubomir; Filaret (Denisenko) . Thanks to His Holiness Patriarch Pimen for his greeting to the participants of the meeting of the Presidium of the Christian Peace Conference (Kyiv, December 6-8, 1978) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1979. - No. 2. - P. 40.
• Thoth, Karoli;
  Mirzejowski, Lubomir; Filaret (Denisenko) . To His Holiness, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Pimen for his greeting to the participants of the meeting of the Committee for the Continuation of the Work of the KMK (Eisenach, GDR, October 13-17, 1980) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1980. - No. 12. - P. 48.
• Thoth, Karoli;
  Mirzejowski, Lubomir; Filaret (Denisenko) . To His Holiness, His Holiness Pimen, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', gratitude for the greeting message to the participants in the meeting of the KMK Working Committee in Kyiv (March 28 - April 1, 1981) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1981. - No. 6. - P. 42.
• Thoth, Karoli;
  Mirzejowski, Lubomir; Filaret (Denisenko) . Meeting of the Committee for the Continuation of the Work of the KMK (Eisenach, GDR, October 13-17, 1980): an appeal to the Churches and Christians // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1980. - No. 12. - P. 50-51.
• Thoth, Karoli;
  Mirzejowski, Lubomir; Filaret (Denisenko) . KMK welcomes the establishment of the People's Revolutionary Council of Kampuchea // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1979. - No. 3. - P. 40-41.
• Filaret (Denisenko)
  . Thanks to Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna for his greeting message to the participants of the meeting of the KMK Working Committee in Kyiv (March 28 - April 1, 1981) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1981. - No. 6. - P. 43.

editor

• On faith and morality according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church / Ed.: Denisenko Mikhail Antonovich, Fr. Vasily Stoykov, Fr. Vladislav Tsypin. - M.: Moscow Patriarchate, 1991.

Awards

• Church:
• the right to wear the second panagia (decree of Patriarch Pimen June 17, 1971)
• personalized panagia (in connection with the 25th anniversary of episcopal consecration 1987)
• personalized panagia (for active participation in the preparation and holding of anniversary celebrations dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' on July 4, 1988)

• Order of Friendship of Peoples (decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR on January 23, 1979)
• Order of the Red Banner of Labor (by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR for active peacekeeping activities and in connection with the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' on June 3, 1988)
• Order of Yaroslav the Wise, V degree (1999)
• Order of Yaroslav the Wise, IV degree (2001)
• Order of Yaroslav the Wise, III degree (2004)
• Order of Yaroslav the Wise, II degree (2006)
• Order of Yaroslav the Wise, 1st degree (2008)
• Order of Liberty (2009)

sources

• 50th anniversary of the Patriarchal Exarch of all Ukraine // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1979. - No. 4. - P. 6-7.
• Brezhnev, L.;
  Georgadze, M. On the awarding of the Patriarchal Exarch of Ukraine, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia Filaret with the Order of Friendship of Peoples // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1979. - No. 4. - P. 4.
• Visit of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Vatican. Mutual greetings. The head of the delegation is Metropolitan Philaret of Kiev and Galicia and Pope John Paul II. In the center is Cardinal John Willebrands // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1990. - No. 1. - S. tab (6th page).
• Visit of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Vatican. Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia Philaret, Patriarchal Exarch of Ukraine, Metropolitan of Minsk and Belarus Philaret and Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna Juvenaly during an audience with Pope John Paul II // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1990. - No. 1. - S. tab (7th page).
• Visit of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Vatican. General photo as a souvenir of the meeting // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1990. - No. 1. - S. tab (7th page).
• Visit of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Vatican. Solemn meeting of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1990. - No. 1. - S. tab (6th page).
• Vladimir, archimandrite
  . Metropolitan Philaret of Kiev and Galicia, Patriarchal Exarch of Ukraine, Doctor of Theology honoris causa of the Jan Hus Faculty of Theology in Prague // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1984. - No. 10. - P. 52-53.
• Elevations to the rank of metropolitan and archbishop (to the rank of metropolitan: Archbishop Palladius of Oryol and Bryansk, Joseph of Alma-Ata and Kazakhstan, Alexy of Tallinn and Estonian, Filaret of Kiev and Galicia; to the rank of archbishop: Bishops of Gorky and Arzamas Flavian, Argentine and South American Nicodemus, Kharkov and Leonty of Bogodukhovsky, Seraphim of Kursk and Belgorod) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1968. - No. 3. - P. 3.
• Statement of the initiative group // Izvestia. - 1991. - March 14. — P. 1-2.
• Doktusov,
  N. Consecration to monasticism (MDA student Filaret (Denisenko)) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1950. - No. 4. - P. 9.
• Dubakin, I. o
  . Entry of Bishop Filaret into the administration of the Riga diocese // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1962. - No. 4. - P. 18.
• Statement by the episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1992. - No. 8. - P. VIII-IX.
• Kuroyedov, V.
  Exarch of Ukraine, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia Philaret (congratulations on his 50th anniversary and awarding him the Order of Friendship of Peoples) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1979. - No. 4. - P. 4.
• Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia Filaret - Doctor of Theology, Presov Theological Faculty // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1980. - No. 10. - P. 40-41.
• Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia Filaret - Chairman of the Committee for the Continuation of the Work of the KMK // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1979. - No. 2. - P. 42-43.
• Metropolitan Philaret of Kiev was awarded a personal panagia // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1987. - No. 4. - P. 5.
• Awarding Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia Philaret with the medal of the World Peace Council // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1981. - No. 11. - P. 48.
• Naming and consecration of Archimandrite Philaret (Denisenko) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1962. - No. 3. - P. 11-16.
• Appeal of the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to the President of Ukraine Leonid Makarovich Kravchuk // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1992. - No. 10. - P. IX-X.
• Definitions of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church (St. Danilov Monastery, June 11, 1992) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1992. - No. 8. - P. VII-VIII.
• Patriarchal awards (Metropolitan Filaret of Kiev and Galicia was awarded the right to wear the second panagia) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1971. - No. 7. - P. 1.
• Pimen (Izvekov), Patriarch.
  To His Eminence, Most Reverend Philaret, Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia, Patriarchal Exarch of Ukraine (congratulations on his 50th anniversary and awarding him the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st degree) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1979. - No. 4. - P. 4.
• Pimen (Izvekov), Patriarch.
  Greeting message (on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the birth of Metropolitan Philaret of Kyiv and Galicia) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1989. - No. 6. - P. 6.
• Trip of Metropolitan Philaret of Kyiv to the USA // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1986. - No. 5. - P. 41.
• Message of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church to the pastors and faithful children of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1992. - No. 8. - P. XI-XII.
• Message from Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church to the episcopate, clergy and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1992. - No. 7. - P. IX-X.
• Resolutions of the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (June 26, 1992, Kiev Pechersk Lavra) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1992. - No. 10. - P. VII-VIII.
• Scott, Edward
  (Anglican Church of Canada). Metropolitan Philaret of Kyiv // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1983. - No. 12. - P. 59.
• Judicial act of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church (June 11, 1992) (dismissal of Metropolitan Philaret (Denisenko) and Bishop of Pochaev Jacob (Panchuk)) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1992. - No. 8. - P. IX-X.
• Ukrainian autocephaly did not take place // Kommersant-Vlast. - 1992. - No. 114.
• Shaidurov, Timofey o.
  Celebration in Kyiv (60th anniversary of the birth of Metropolitan Philaret of Kyiv and Galicia) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1989. - No. 6. - P. 7.
• Yuvenaly (Poyarkov), Metropolitan
  . To the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia Philaret, Chairman of the KMK COPR (welcome message to the participants of the meeting of the KMK Working Committee in Kyiv (March 28 - April 1, 1981)) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1981. - No. 6. - P. 42.
• Yuvenaly (Poyarkov), Metropolitan.
  To His Eminence, Most Reverend Philaret, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia, Patriarchal Exarch of all Ukraine, Chairman of the branch of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Exarchate, permanent member of the Holy Synod (congratulations on the 50th anniversary and awards) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1979. - No. 4. - P. 5.

Footnotes

1. Certificate of Alexy II, by the grace of God, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', to Metropolitan Philaret of Kyiv and All Ukraine. // Patriarchy.ru
2. Candidates for the Patriarchal Staff, part 6 .// “People’s Truth”
3. Moscow Church Bulletin.
   - 1992. - No. 9 (75), June. — page 2.
4. Statement of the initiative group // Izvestia. - 1991. - March 14. — P. 1-2.

Filaret after 2014. At the zenith of power

The authorities began to provide open and large-scale support to the Kyiv Patriarchate after 2014. At the same time, she started something even more “useful” for Filaret - putting pressure on the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate. What made it easier for the supporters of the Communist Party to seize churches - they began everywhere in Western Ukraine with the support of nationalists.

Filaret won the love of radicals for his position on Donbass and Crimea. If the head of the UOC-MP, Metropolitan Onuphry, could afford to rebel against the official position and called for peace, then Filaret in this sense became a complete ally of the authorities (which, in general, he always did) directly calling for war.

Mikhail Denisenko especially distinguished himself by denouncing the Donbass, which, according to him, itself deserved what is happening to it now - war, blood, devastation.

On November 5, 2021, Filaret said that the population of the eastern regions sinned by voting for federalization, so they “must atone for their guilt with blood.”

“One should not think that the population of Donbass is not to blame for this suffering. Guilty. And he must atone for his guilt with suffering and blood. Did you vote for federalization in the referendum? Voted. Have you sinned? We sinned. This is the consequence of this sin,” the patriarch said.

In April 2021, Filaret said that God sent the war to Donbass, as the inhabitants of this region moved away from God.

“Why, for example, did the Lord allow this war in the east? He allowed it so that people would turn to God. That's why there is no war in the center, but in Donbass? And since in Donbass people have moved away from God more,” he said in an interview with the “Direct” TV channel.

“And because of the war, now people in Donbass are turning to God. And not only in Donbass. Throughout Ukraine, they are helping the armies and helping those who suffer in the Donbass. Who is helping? Ukrainians are from Western Ukraine, Central - from all over Ukraine. And if they help, it means they love them,” the patriarch said.

In August 2021, in an interview with the Pershiy TV channel, Filaret said that the war in Donbass is God’s help to the Kyiv Patriarchate.

“Firstly, our goal is growth, an increase in the Kyiv Patriarchate. And the Lord himself helps us with this. How? He allowed the war to happen. And this war contributes to the growth of the Kyiv Patriarchate. How? People see who defends the Ukrainian state, the Ukrainian land: the Kiev Patriarchate or the Moscow Patriarchate. Kievskiy protects, and Moskovskiy protects the aggressor. Because he calls this war a civil war, not an aggressive war,” Filaret said.

All these statements, by and large, can be considered incitement to hatred on a regional basis - and this is a criminal offense.

Instead, the SBU began to persecute the priests of the UOC-MP, who accused Filaret of apostasy.

This happened as part of the “struggle for the Tomos” - which ultimately buried both the Kiev Patriarchate and the patriarchate of Filaret.