QUESTION OF UNIFICATION OF UKRAINIAN ORTHODOXY DISCUSSED AT CONSTANTINOPLE PATRIARCHATE SOBOR
Religiia v Ukraine, 3 September 2015
A Synaxis (general meeting, actually a Local Sobor) of all hierarchs of the ecumenical Constantinople patriarchate has continued from 29 August to 3 September 2015 in the church of the Holy Trinity in the Pera quarter of Constantinople (now Istanbul), a source inside the Constantinople patriarchate reports for Religiia v Ukraine.
The sobor is attended by approximately 140 hierarchs from various countries of the world, representing diverse nationalities abiding under the omophorion of the patriarch of Constantinople. In particular, this outstanding event is attended by five Ukrainian Orthodox bishops, representing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Constantinople patriarchate) in the U.S.A. and Canada, Metropolitan Antony and Bishop Daniil (UOCUSA) and Metropolitan Yurij, Bishop Ilarion, and Bishop Andrei (UOC Canada). Also attending the sobor are the primates of the Autonomous Orthodox Church of Estonia, Finland, and Sinai.
In his opening address and also during discussions and meetings with hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the U.S.A. and Canada, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed deep concern over the war and church division in Ukraine, and he emphasized the responsibility of the ecumenical patriarchate as the Mother-Church of the Ukrainian church for the spiritual care of its flock. He also noted the necessity of the unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.
Hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. and Canada had the opportunity to hold a separate conference with Patriarch Bartholomew, during which they discussed the situation in Ukraine and ways to overcome church division in the Ukrainian church. In particular, in the opinion of representatives of UOCUSA and Canada, a serious obstacle for restoring church unity in Ukraine is the portion of the Ukrainian flock that is a member of the Moscow patriarchate in Ukrainian dioceses that were driven by secular authorities into the Russian empire by violent means in violation of the canons and subsequently were under pressure from the communist regime of the USSR. In the hierarchs' opinion, this fact substantially hinders the process of unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy and the restoration of a united local Orthodox church in Ukraine.
The representatives of the UOCUSA and Canada are convinced that one of the options for restoration of the unity of Ukrainian Orthodoxy could be unification of the temporarily separated Ukrainian churches under the canonical omophorion of the Constantinople Mother-Church, from which Kievan Rus received baptism more than 1,000 years ago, and of which the Ukrainian church was a member with rights of broad autonomy for 700 years, until it was subjected to the Moscow patriarchate by doubtful means.
During the session of the sobor, the chief attention was devoted to preparing for the Pan-Orthodox Sobor, which may be held next year. Metropolitan of Pergamum Ioann told the sobor's participants about the course of preparation for it. Metropolitan of Sasima Gennady reported on the participation of the patriarchate of Constantinople in the World Council of Chruches.
Later there were reports by bishops who described the state and prospects of development in their dioceses and the care of their flock. It is planned that at the sobor important attention will be devoted to the missionary and social ministry of the church, particularly in the context of searches for responses to the challenges of the modern world. (tr. by PDS, posted 4 September 2015)
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