HEAD OF UAPTs DOES NOT OPPOSE MEMBERSHIP OF KHARKOV-POLTAVA DIOCESE OF UAPTs(O) IN UGKTs
Religiia v Ukraine, 5 October 2015
During a "courtesy visit" by the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGKTs), Major Archbishop Sviatoslav, with the new primate of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAPTs), Metropolitan Makary, which occurred on 30 September, the question of the Kharkov-Poltava diocese of the UAPTs, which is registered as the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (Renovationist) [UAPTs(O)] and headed by Archbishop Igor Isichenko, was touched upon. UAPTs(O) initiated eucharistic and administrative convergence with the UGKTs, Religiia v Ukraine reported, with reference to Patriarchia.org.ua.
"Archbishop Igor and Metropolitan Makary have maintained long-term warm and friendly relations. Taking this into account, the new head of the UAPTs informed His Beatitude Sviatoslav that he wants to open a new page in relations between the churches and not speak in opposition to Vladyka Igor's and his clergy's being received into membership of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church," the UAPTs website says.
As reported, on 1 April 2015, a diocesan council of the Kharkov-Poltava diocese of UAPTs(O) was held in Kharkov and sent to the head of the UGKTs and synod of bishops of that church a request "for providing fraternal advice relative to the achievement of eucharistic fellowship and administrative unity of the Kharkov-Poltava diocese of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church."
A letter from the head of the UGKTs to Archbishop Igor of 18 September of this year [reported that ?—tr.] the request of the UAPTs(O) for becoming a member of the UGKTs was considered at the last session of the synod of the UGKTs. Welcoming the decision of the Kharkov-Poltava diocese of the UAPTs to join the UGKTs, the synod of this church expressed its readiness for "a joint search for ways of renewing Eucharistic fellowship and administrative unity between the UGKTs and the Kharkov-Poltava diocese of the UAPs(O)."
The UAPTs website reports that at the present time 15 parishes on Ukrainian territory and one parish in Russia (the Moscow church consecrated to the Holy Spirit, whose rector is priest Yakov Krotov) are members of the Kharkov-Poltava diocese of the UAPTs(O). (tr. by PDS, posted 5 October 2015)
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