RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


 

UPTsKP accepts UAPTs offer to discuss merger

DOCUMENT:  SESSION OF HOLY SYNOD OF UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF KIEV PATRIARCHATE

on 12 May 2015, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch of Kiev and all-Rus-Ukraine Filaret

 

Journal No. 7

 

HEARD:

 

Statement of Bishops' Council of UAPTs concerning unification of UAPTs and UPTsKP into a united church

 

INFORMATION:

 

After the death in February 2015 of the primate of UAPTs, Metropolitan Mefody, contacts with representatives of UAPTs were renewed concerning unification and creation of a united Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

 

During meetings with metropolitans and bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Churches in the diaspora (in Canada and the USA) it was witnessed that these churches, as well as the Constantinople Mother Church, under whose omophorion they are, support and welcome a process of unification of UAPTs with the Kiev patriarchate in a united church.

 

On 23 April 2015, a Bishops' Council of UAPTs was held, which in particular indicated: "By this statement we officially declare that the UAPTs strives to begin a real unification process with UPTsKP." The Bishops' Council of UAPTs also formed a commission for dialogue with the Kiev patriarchate comprising two bishops and three priests and it advanced preliminary suggestions for a unification dialogue, in particular, the preservation of the historical name "Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church," as well as preservation of dioceses and deaneries of UAPTs.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.  To assure that from June 1992, when a Unification Sobor was held at which UAPTs, led by Patriarch of Kiev and all-Ukraine Mstislav of blessed memory, and UPTs, led by Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine (now Patriarch) Filaret, united and formed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate, our church has seen as its primary task the overcoming of church division and the formation of a united Local UPTs, to which point 4 of part I of the charter on administration of UPTsKP points: "The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate strives for overcoming existing church division and the formation in Ukraine of an autocephalous united Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, with a patriarchal throne in the city of Kiev."

 

With this goal, the Kiev patriarchate has frequently (in 1995, 2000-2001, 2005, 2011) started a dialogue with UAPTs concerning unification. Unfortunately, every time this dialogue was suspended due to causes that did not depend on the Kiev patriarchate, although our church always remained open to renewal of the unification process.

 

Considering what is said above, the Kiev patriarchate testifies to its desire to renew a dialogue with UAPTs concerning unification and it receives with approval the corresponding desire on the part of UAPTs.

 

2. For conducting a dialogue, to create a commission comprising:

 

--Metropolitan of Lvov and Sokal Dimitry, chairman;

--Archbishop of Chernigov and Nezhin Evstraty;

--Archpriest Mikhail Marusiak, member of the Supreme Church Council (Ivano-Frankovsk diocese);

--Archpriest Aleksei Golovatsky (Ternopol diocese);

--Archpriest Alexander Trofimliuk, member of the supreme Church Council (Kiev diocese).

 

3. To determine that dialogue and unification should occur in conformity with church canons, including the 34th apostolic rule: "Bishops of every nation must acknowledge the first among them, and recognize him as the head, and in nothing exceeding their authority not to act without his consent. But also the first does nothing without the agreement of all, because to show such unanimity also glorifies God through the Lord in the Holy Spirit, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."

 

4. To confirm that the unchanged and principled condition for the Kiev patriarchate is the recognition on the part of UAPTs of Patriarch of Kiev and all-Rus-Ukraine Filaret as the primate of the united church, just as the Unification Sobor of 1992 recognized Patriarch Mstislav, of blessed memory, as head of the united church.

 

The first hierarch, who at the time of unification heads UAPTs, with consent will be included among the permanent members of the Holy Synod of the UPTs of the Kiev patriarchate.

 

5. On the whole, to accept with approval the preliminary suggestions for a unification dialogue, expressed by the Bishops' Council of UAPTs on 23 April 2015, concerning preservation of the historical name "Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church" and preservation of dioceses and deaneries of UAPTs.

 

In connection with this and taking into account the decision of the All-Ukrainian Orthodox Sobor of UPTs of the Kiev patriarchate (21-22 October 1993) to agree that dioceses, parishes, and other church institutions which now belong to UAPTs and desire after unification to preserve the charter name "Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church," will preserve it in accordance with existing legislation with an indication in their charters of affiliation with the Kiev patriarchate.

 

6. On the basis of the 57th rule of the Laodicean council, "It is not fit to establish bishops in small cities and villages, but visitors; and those who already are established should do nothing without the consent of the bishop of the city. Also presbyters must do nothing without the consent of the bishop," proceeding from general church practices, to suggest that diocesan bishops of UAPTs, under whose administration there are fewer than 30 religious communities and fewer than 25 clergymen, join the nearest diocese of UAPTs (or diocese of UPTsKP within the same province) in the capacity of a separate vicariate.

 

Large dioceses of UAPTs (having 30 or more religious communities and 25 or more clergymen) will join the Kiev patriarchate as dioceses led by their own bishops, without a change in the internal structure of the diocese.

 

The structure of deaneries will be preserved. Deans, just like rectors of parishes, will retain their posts.

 

7. To call the all-Ukrainian Orthodox flock to pray for the successful church unification and to ask bishops, clergy, and laity of UAPTs to actively cooperate in the immediate achievement of unity.   (tr. by PDS, posted 13 May 2015)

 

Ukrainian original posted on site of Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev patriarchate, 12 May 2015


Background article:
Smallest Ukrainian Orthodox church points way to Orthodox unity
April 24, 2015


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