RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


 

Reactions to prospect of unification of Ukrainian Orthodox churches

UPTs THINKS THAT CONSTANTINOPLE'S RECOGNITION OF THE UNION OF UPTsKP AND UAPTs WILL LEAD TO SPLIT OF WORLD ORTHODOXY

RISU, 10 June 2015

 

If the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church unite, this will not lead to a single local church in the full sense of the word. This is stated by the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Nikolai Danilevich, UNIAN-religion reports, with a reference to the Center of Information of UPTs.

 

"After all, our church will not be there. UPTsKP and UAPTs are churches that are not recognized by world Orthodoxy. Several of their representatives say that in the event of the unification, the Constantinople patriarchate will recognize them. But this is impossible," the UPTs archpriest notes. He said that if Constantinople takes such steps this will engender a division among all 15 local Orthodox churches in the world.

 

"For example, just as the member states of the European Union do not have the right to have any ties with states upon which an international embargo has been laid, so in the church space the situation is impossible where one patriarchate recognizes some newly-formed church and the others do not recognize it," the priest explains.

 

He cites the example of the American Orthodox Church as a special case in which some consider it completely independent, that is, autocephalous, and others consider it autonomous, that is, semi-independent. "But this church is canonical and it is recognized by all local Orthodox churches. The question is only about its status—is it completely independent or autonomous," Father Nikolai notes.

 

We recall that on 9 June in a broadcast on 5 Channel, the press secretary of the Kiev patriarchate, Evstraty Zoria, stated that after the unification of UPTsKP and UAPTs, the new church formation will be recognized by the Constantinople patriarchate. (tr. by PDS, posted 11 June 2015)


 

UPTsMP HAS DECIDED THAT UNION OF UAPTs AND KIEV PATRIARCHATE WILL LEAD ONLY TO QUARREL

RISU, 10 June 2015

 

The possible unification of UAPTs and UPTsKP will lead only to quarrels, since local Orthodox churches still will not recognize the decision of churches that they consider to be schismatic, the head of the press service of UPTsMP, Vasily Anisimov, told RIA Novosti.

 

Yesterday, a session of the commissions of UAPTs and UPTsKP was held, at which a decision was adopted "to unite quickly into a single local Ukrainian Orthodox church," for which a Unification Sobor of the two churches will be convened on 14 September 2015. The concluding document of the commission emphasized that representatives of the Constantinople patriarchate attended the session in the capacity of observers.

 

"They (UAPTs and UPTsKP—ed.) have already many times tried to unite. I think even if they agree this time, this will not lead to any good. Moreover, this will not lead to unity in world Orthodoxy, for which they are striving so strongly," Anisimov said.

 

The news agency's interlocutor noted that even if UAPTs and UPTsKP manage to agree concerning unification, they will start asking Constantinople to recognize them as a local church, which will lead only to quarrels. He said, UPTsMP, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Constantinople patriarchate have often called the "schismatics" to return to the bosom of the canonical church. (tr. by PDS, posted 11 June 2015)

 

PETRUSHKO: UPTsKP WANTS TO SWALLOW UAPTs, NOT UNITE WITH IT

RIA Novosti, 9 June 2015

 

Vladislav Petrushko, a doctor of church history and kandidat of theology, told RIA Novosti that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev patriarchate wants not to unite with the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, but to swallow it and to place its leader as the head, the so-called Patriarch Filaret.

 

Today three Orthodox structures operate in Ukraine, of which only one, the UPTs of the Moscow patriarchate, is canonical and recognized by all local Orthodox churches of the world. Two others, UPTsKP and UAPTs, with the support of political authorities, for more than two decades have been demanding their legitimacy be recognized. Last week the primate of the UPTsMP, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine Onufrey, suggested to representatives of UAPTs to renew the dialogue for restoring unity among Orthodox Christians of Ukraine. However the autocephalous church took the path to unification with UPTsKP.

 

Yesterday a session of commissions of the UAPTs and UPTsKP was held, at which the decision was adopted "to unite quickly into a single local Ukrainian Orthodox church," for which on 14 September 2015 a Unification Sobor of the two organizations will be convened. The concluding document of the commission emphasized that representatives of the Constantinople patriarchate attended the session in the capacity of observers.

 

"On 4 June the UAPTs chose its new primate, and this says that the church intends for a rather long time yet to exist independently. If one believes the Kiev patriarchate, they are about ready to unify in September. If that were the case, then the UAPTs would not have chosen a first hierarch for itself," Petrushko said.

 

He said that information about the imminent unification was spread by representatives of the so-called Kiev patriarchate, a church which "for a long time has been noted for use of not the most honest approaches." In addition, UPTsKP has already issued a statement that the new structure should be headed by Filaret Denisenko, and in this case the union of the two churches that are not recognized by world Orthodoxy "will be not a unification but a swallowing." Petrushko also called attention to the fact that Filaret is a "wheeler-dealer and a politician," while the UAPTs tries to stay outside of politics.

 

The news agency's interlocutor noted that Kievan authorities are interested in the merger of the schismatic churches, since this will permit strengthening the position of the "national" church in opposition to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate.

 

Petrushko is also convinced that the Constantinople Orthodox Church is interested in the unification of UAPTs and UPTsKP because its first hierarch, Patriarch Bartholomew, wants to strengthen its position in the region and to weaken the Russian Orthodox Church. In addition, the primate of the Constantinople Orthodox Church stubbornly insists that he is the head of the Mother-Church, and that means he can make decisions without taking into account the opinion of local Orthodox churches.

 

At the same time, the expert noted that in the prelude to the Pan-Orthodox Sobor of 2016, negotiations for which have been conducted for more than 50 years now, the contradictions between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Constantinople Orthodox Church have still not been so clearly expressed. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 June 2015)

 

UKRAINIAN SCHISMATICS WANT TO UNITE IN "LOCAL CHURCH"

Interfax-Religiia, 9 June 2015

 

Two structures that are not recognized in the Orthodox world, the so-called "Kiev patriarchate" and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, intend to convene a unification sobor on 14 September.

 

"To place on record that the UAPTs, in accordance with decisions of the 5th local sobor (4-5 June 2015), and the UPTsKP, in accordance with decisions of the Holy Synod (12 May 2015), intend and desire in the near future to unite into a single local Orthodox Ukrainian church. To recognize that, in accordance with the canonical norms, the charters of both churches, and the legislation of Ukraine, the fulfillment of the desire to unite is possible only at a joint Unification Sobor," the concluding decision of the joint session of commissions of UPTsKP and UAPTs, published on the website of UPTsKP, says.

 

It is expected that the sobor will be held in Holy Wisdom cathedral of Kiev. Decisions on all questions will be adopted by majority of votes.

 

It is suggested that a final decision on the question of conducting the sobor be made before 30 June.

 

Earlier, the head of UPTsKP, Filaret Denisenko, declared that his organization has not agreed to a change in the name and to the reelection of a primate in the event of unification with the UAPTs. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 June 2015)

 

 

HOW UKRAINIAN CHURCHES ARE UNITING: THE FIRST AGREEMENT

Unification Sobor of UPTsKP and UAPTs will be held in Kiev on 14 September

by Vitaly Chervonenko

B.B.C., 9 June 2015

 

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev patriarchate (UPTsKP), with the participation of representatives of the Constantinople patriarch, jointly with the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAPTs) agreed to conduct a unification sobor in Kiev on 14 September.

 

Such a decision was adopted in the evening of 8 June at a session of a joint commission of the churches in the St. Michael's cathedral of the Ukrainian capital.

 

Negotiations regarding unification were revived after the death in February 2015 of the previous UAPTs head, Mefody, and the election of Makary as the new head of the church.

 

The UPTsKP and UAPTs represent a substantial portion of Orthodox believers of Ukraine, although they are not recognized by the Orthodox churches of the world.

 

In the event of unification, there will appear for the UPTsKP and UAPTs the possibility of their recognition on the part of the ecumenical patriarch in Constantinople.

 

One of the largest Orthodox churches of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate, is subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church and is not participating in the process of unification.

 

The UPTs of the Moscow patriarchate considers the UPTs of the Kiev patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church to be uncanonical churches.

 

Guests from across the ocean

 

The document about the future unification contains the signatures of representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada, Illarion, and in the USA, Daniil, which are subordinate to the Constantinople patriarch. Their participation in the adoption of the decision regarding unification is especially emphasized in the preamble to the signed document.

 

"In contrast to previous attempts at unification, now the Constantinople patriarchate is participating in the dialogue in the person of its official representatives. Constantinople is involved in the process. This is a sign that in the event of success, the patriarch will have a basis for taking steps that we expect," a participant in the negotiations from the UPTsKP side, Father Evstraty, told the B.B.C. Ukrainian service.

 

He noted that representatives of Constantinople did not make any promises, although the church expects that in the event of unification, the ecumenical patriarch may recognize the local Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

 

Although the signatories themselves do not rule out that the unification sobor may be scuttled. "Considering previous experience and possible external influences aimed at preventing unification, and political and ecclesiastical Moscow is interested in this, I suppose that there may be obstacles so that the unification sobor does not take place," Father Evstraty says.

 

Conditions of unification

 

According to the signed agreement, the decision for unification should be made by a special council on 14 September 2015. At it, a leader for the united church should be elected and its name determined.

 

On the question of the election of a head of the united church there still are two approaches.

 

The first is that the head of the UPTsKP, Filaret, should become the head of the church and the recently elected head of UAPTs, Makary, will join the holy synod of the unified church as a permanent member.

 

The position of the UAPTs is that all candidates should be presented to the council and the delegates will be able to determine the primate.

 

There also are different interpretations regarding the name of the united church.

 

The UPTsKP insists on retaining its name for the united church with the possibility that the UAPTs may retain its historical name in individual parishes and dioceses.

 

However the UAPTs proposes that the united church be called "The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Kiev patriarchate."

 

Father Evstraty explained to the B.B.C. Ukrainian service that a change in name entails for the UPTsKP enormous administrative problems and costs, and therefore they will insist on retaining their name.

 

Who will decide

 

According to preliminary calculations, the UPTsKP will have a quantitative advantage in delegates over the UAPTs at the sobor. The agreement says that the delegates will be all bishops of both churches and also one representative for each 15 registered parishes, as of 1 January 2015.

 

The UPTsKP now has four times as many parishes as its partners in the merger.The Ministry of Culture told the B.B.C. Ukrainian service that as of 1 January, there were 4877 registered UPTsKP parishes and 1225 UAPTs parishes. While the UPTs of the Moscow patriarchate has 12,515 parishes, and therefore even the united church will formally have half as many as UPTsMP. In terms of number of parishioners, according to the latest data of sociological studies it is the UPTsKP that has the largest church in Ukraine. In April, 44% of Ukrainians identified themselves with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev patriarchate, 21% called themselves parishioners of the UPTs of the Moscow patriarchate, and almost 2% of the population called themselves adherents of UAPTs. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 June 2015)

 

Russian original posted on Portal-credo.ru site, 10 June 2015

 

PROSPECT FOR UNIFICATION OF UPTsKP AND UAPTs TENUOUS—BISHOP OF IRPEN KLIMENT

Portal.credo.ru, 12 June 2015

 

The prospect for unification of UPTsKP and UAPTs is "very tenuous," declared the chairman of the synod's Information Department of the UPTsMP, Bishop of Irpen Kliment, the Center of Information of the UPTsMP reports on 11 June.

 

"Nothing has prevented these religious organizations from uniting in the past 23 years. But all this time they have been in conflict between themselves. Therefore today their initiatives for unification seem rather tenuous. Today the UAPTs is under pressure from various state structures who are forcing this religious organization to unite with the UPTsKP. It declared this explicitly at its sobor. But actually a great number of bishops and priests of the UAPTs are in opposition to the Kiev patriarchate," Bishop Kliment said.

 

He said, "even if one speaks about some kind of conditional merger of these churches, then two noncanonical churches still cannot be united into a canonical one."

 

"The representatives of the Constantinople patriarchate who attended the negotiations of UPTsKP and UAPTs did not promise them anything. A representative of the Kiev patriarchate even pointed this out. There are no premises to think that the Constantinople patriarch will recognize a noncanonical church merger, to say nothing of one that consists of only one third of the Orthodox Christians of Ukraine," the chairman of the synod's Information Department of UPTsMP thinks.

 

"The Kiev patriarchate has about 5,000 parishes while UPTsMP now counts more than 12,000 parishes. Each parish has dozens to hundreds of people" Bishop Kliment emphasized.

 

It was previously reported that UPTsKP and UAPTs are considering the possibility of conducting a Unification Sobor for creating a united church on 14 September of this year. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 June 2015)



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