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. 10
DISCUSSION:
On the state of mutual relations with UPTs of the Moscow patriarchate and on the activity of this church in conditions of Russian aggression against Ukraine
RESOLVED:
1. To express outrage at the numerous incidents of indirect and direct support of the Russian aggression against Ukraine on the part of some clergy, bishops, and leaders of the UPTs of the Moscow patriarchate, in particular:
--Refusal to acknowledge publicly Russia as an aggressor country and the activity of the so-called people's republics in Donetsk and Luhansk provinces as terrorist as this is defined by resolutions of the Supreme Soviet of Ukraine of 27 January 2015 and 4 February 2015;
--Taking into account the clear distinction in ecclesiastical and liturgical tradition between "invasion of foreigners" as external aggression and "internecine struggle" as internal civil conflict, refusal on the part of UPTsMP to officially recognize events in Crimea and the Donbass as the invasion of foreigners and to pray for an ending of such an invasion;
--In imitation of Russian propaganda, calling the events in the Donbass a "civil war," in which Russia supposedly is not a party to the conflict;
--Unwillingness clearly and unequivocally to distance itself from the political imperial doctrine of the "Russian World," which is propounded by the Moscow patriarchate and Russian government and is used as a justification of aggression against Ukraine;
--Refusal of Metropolitan Onufrey, Metropolitan Antony, and Bishop Iona on 8 May 2015 at a solemn session of the Supreme Soviet of Ukraine to honor by standing heroes of Ukraine, participants of the ATO in the Donbass, some of whom earned this title posthumously;
--Absence of condemnation of actions of bishops and clergy of the UPTsMP who publicly blessed armed terrorist squads and their leaders, called for disruption of mobilization, declared the "sinfulness" of armed resistance to Russian occupiers, in particular, the actions of Metropolitan Ioanniky, who blessed the Luhansk leaders of terrorists, Bishop Longin, who publicly called for disruption of mobilization, and Bishop Varsonofy, who participated in "celebration" in Dontesk of the anniversary of the separatist pseudo-referendum;
--Bestowal of church distinction on priests of UPTsMP, Archpriest D. Sidor (Transcarpathia) and Archpriest A. Avdiugin (Luhansk province), who are notorious for their public support of separatism.
2. To reject categorically the accusation against the Kiev patriarchate that supposedly our church speaks "for war," while the Moscow patriarchate speaks "for peace."
The Kiev patriarchate prays daily in worship services for peace in Ukraine, for the victory of Ukrainian soldiers over aggressors, and for the restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Considering that the leadership of the UPTsMP and Metropolitan Onufrey personally do not call the leadership of Russia to stop the aggression and does not call Russian service personnel and cossacks to lay down their weapons and leave the territory of Ukraine, but appeal to an abstract "all," which means Ukrainian service personnel also, "immediately to lay down their weapons and stop bloodshed," and they call for ceasing armed actions immediately and unconditionally, which means to cease resistance to aggression and to agree with capitulation on the conditions of the aggressor—we consider that the apparent position of peacemaking of the present leadership of UPTsMP really is not the promotion of a just peace but the promotion of capitulation before the aggressor, which has a political and not an evangelical foundation.
3. To reject the accusation against the Kiev patriarchate that it allegedly serves the Ukrainian government and thus its position does not differ from the position of the Moscow patriarchate, which serves the Russian government.
The Kiev patriarchate, as a local church of the Ukrainian people, serves the Ukrainian people, and not the government or state. Our church supports the government and state to the extent that this is determined by evangelical teaching and in those actions that are just and for the benefit of the people. In the event that the state and government diverge from justice and the benefit of the people, the Kiev patriarchate has frequently stood on the side of the people against the government and with criticism of the actions of the state and intends to do so in the future.
Our church also criticizes and will criticize sinful phenomena, when they occur among the people itself, such as corruption, immorality, alcoholism and drug addiction, propaganda of inter-ethnic strife, and the like.
4. To categorically reject the accusation against the Kiev patriarchate of inflaming interconfessional strife and "the seizure of churches" of the UPTsMP.
The Kiev patriarchate has condemned and condemns violence and calls for violence with respect to the clergy, believers, and church buildings of the UPTsMP.
In instances when representatives or the leadership of the UPTsMP conduct pro-Russian agitation and inflame hostility against the Kiev patriarchate, our church reserves for itself the right to publically expose and criticize such actions.
In the event of an appeal from parishes, clergy, and believers belonging to the UPTsMP requesting to accept them into membership of the Kiev patriarchate, our church accepts and will accept them in the future, observing existing legislation and striving for the formation in Ukraine of a united Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church. (tr. by PDS, posted 14 May 2015)
Ukrainian original posted on the website of the UPTsKP, 12 May 2015
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