DOCUMENT: STATEMENT OF ROCOR(MP) SYNOD AGAINST AUTOCEPHALY OF UKRAINIAN CHURCH
We, members of the Bishops' Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), who conduct our ministry in North America, Europe, and Australia, view with spiritual pain how, in the sacred land of Kievan Rus, the Ukrainian land dear to us, insidious political aspirations again, as has happened already in history, are presenting themselves under the guise of certain religious activity, but with the obvious goal of inflaming hatred and disorder among Orthodox people, with the intention of fomenting church schism. Attempts are being undertaken to create in this land that has suffered much a special "autocephalous church" in place of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine Onufrey. Since 1990 this church has possessed autonomy, that is, self-sufficiency and independence in its administration. We see before us none other than a crafty attempt to exploit religious feelings and to subordinate them to the political aims of current authorities, which directly violates the tradition and canonical norms of the Holy Orthodox Church.
We pray Almighty God that the passions and troubles aroused by the attempts of those who are alien to the spirit and gracious order of church people will vanish like smoke and the strife will be calmed by his mercy and that the peace of the God-man resurrected on the third day will reign in their hearts.
By the present statement we express our complete support of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufrey, along with his fraternal archpastors, clergy, monastics, and flock of the only canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and we bow with love before their confessional achievement. No changes in the life of the church can be initiated and imposed upon it by secular authority. The current attempts to influence the life of the church from outside only reveal the profoundly non-church motives and goals of those trying to effect them.
We urge everyone to pray for the canonical Orthodox Church on Ukrainian soil, that the current attempt to divide the church will come to naught and that peace and brotherly love will always reign in relations among local Orthodox churches.
Bishops' Synod of ROCOR(MP),
April 2018
(tr. by PDS, posted 30 April 2018)
Russian original posted on Portal-Credo.ru, 30 April 2018
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