UOC-Moscow Patriarchate Synod set a course for rapprochement with Moscow - not Orthodox reconciliation - Archbishop Yevstratoy of Chernihiv, Kyivan Patriarchate - RISU

19 June 2014, RISU

Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya) of Chernihiv and Nizhyn summarized the results of the Synod of the UOC (MP), which was held in Kyiv. He posted his opinion on Facebook:


“1. There is not a single word about dialogue with the UOC-KP [unrecognised Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, the largest Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which established its own autocephaly in being turned down by Moscow]. Now they are not afraid of Maidan, which might come to Lavra, so the dialogue becomes unnecessary.

2. Kirill was not invited to Ukraine, and even the Day of the Baptism of the Kyivan Rus was not mentioned. Yet, there is time left till the end of July time, so everything is possible.

3. The lawyer of the Kyiv Metropolis Volodymyr Volynets was dismissed; it was he who once rebuffed the attempts of Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk to force the pro-Moscow amendments in the Charter of the UOC through the Commission.

4. The Rector of Uzhgorod Academy Archimandrite Victor Bed was dismissed. He is the only priest of the UOC of such rank who was not afraid to publicly speak out against Moscow and in favour of autocephaly.

5.Through the liquidation of the Awards Department Metropolitan Oleksandr (Drabynko) was deprived of the right to participate in the Council of Bishops, as an Auxiliary Bishop without a position in the Synodal Department.

6. Two addresses were adopted, but none of them said a word about one of the main reasons of the current troubles in Ukraine - the undeclared aggressive war that Russia wages on our country.

7. Conclusion: a series of steps in the pro-Moscow direction was made.

It is sad, but predictable, as not only patriarch Kirill, but also the Synod’s Chairman Metropolitan Onufriy believes that Ukrainians and Russians are one people, and in the Donbas there is no aggression of Russia against Ukraine, but Ukrainian troops clash with the militia.

So the Synod members have sufficient grounds to report to the Moscow Patriarchate of the progress achieved. May be Putin will grants orders to someone else?”


UOC-MP Synod set a course for rapprochement with Moscow - UOC KP ARCHBISHOP


RISU further reports -

Recently among the UOC-MP clergymen there has been a tendency to emigrate. This trend captures not only ordinary priests, but the hierarchs as well. Thus, the Holy Synod of the UOC -MP, held on June, 19, determined the further ministry of Bishop Nektariy (Frolov) of Dubno, vicar of the Diocese of Rivne. He will serve in Russia, the official website of the UOC -MP reports.

On hearing the report of Bishop Nektarios, the Synod participants decided to dismiss him from his post as vicar of the Diocese of Rivne (Journal 26).

They adopted another decision to submit the bishop under jurisdiction of Patriarch of the ROC Kirill (Gundiayev).

It should be noted that before becoming Vicar of the Diocese of Rivne, Bishop Nectariy chaired the diocese of Dzhankoi and Rozdolne of the UOC -MP. During his tenure in the Crimea, the attention of media was attracted by scandals that occurred in the diocese and were linked with his name.

Note that after the events at Maidan and the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the cases of the emigration of the clergy of the UOC -MP to the Russian Federation became more frequent. In particular, according to Religion in Ukraine website, recently Archpriest Maxym Volynets, a clergyman of the UOC-MP Diocese of Luhansk moved to Moscow region. The following clergymen had earlier left Ukraine as well: Secretary of the UOC-MP Diocese of Odessa Archpriest Andriy Novikov, who was appointed rector of Holy Trinity Church on the Vorobyovy Hills in Moscow, Head of Religious Education, Catechism and Missionary Work Department Archpriest Oleg Mokryak, Head of the Missionary Department of the UOC-MP Diocese of Kyiv Archpriest Andriy Tkachov and father confessor of the militants of Luhansk Archpriest Oleg Trofimov.