UPTsMP SYNOD ADOPTS APPEAL REGARDING CONSTANTINOPLE GRANTING AUTOCEPHALY TO UKRAINIAN CHURCH
Members of the Holy Synod of the UPTsMP, which met on 25 May in Kiev, adopted an appeal with regard to "granting of a tomos concerning autocephaly of the Orthodox church in Ukraine," the official website of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate reports.
As maintained in the official document of the UPTsMP synod, after receiving autocephaly in Ukraine there will appear "yet another parallel jurisdiction," and this will engender "new contradictions within the people," which will not only threaten the security of the state but also put into question the possibility of future unity of the Orthodox church in Ukraine.
"Our people could be divided for a long time, if not forever," the leadership of the UPTsMP declared.
Members of the synod also noted that the UPTsMP has up to this time not received from the Constantinople patriarchate any official reports regarding consideration of the question of granting to the Ukrainian church a tomos concerning autocephaly. (tr. by PDS, posted 25 May 2018)
SYNOD APPEALS TO UPTs BELIEVERS REGARDING INFORMATION ABOUT POSSIBILITY OF GRANTING A TOMOS CONCERNING AUTOCEPHALY OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN UKRAINE
Website of the UPTsMP, 25 May 2018
On 25 May 2018, a session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was held in the residence of the primate of the UPTs on the territory of the Holy Dormition Kiev caves lavra, at which an appeal to the episcopate, clergy, monastics, and laity was adopted regarding the initiative for "granting a tomos concerning the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine" (Journal 7). The UPTs Department of Information and Enlightenment is publishing the text of the document.
In accordance with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufrey, the text of the aforesaid appeal will be read in all churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
APPEAL
of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
to the episcopate, clergy, monastics, and laity regarding the initiative for "granting a tomos concerning autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine"
Your reverends and eminences!
Dear fathers, monks and nuns, brothers and sisters!
Over the course of recent weeks in our country there has been vigorous discussion of the possibility of a unilateral granting by the Constantinople patriarchate of a "tomos concerning the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine."
Up to now, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has not received from the Constantinople patriarchate any official reports regarding this issue. Along with this we know that the local Orthodox churches of the world also have not received from Constantinople official letters regarding this issue.
At the request of the primates of the local Orthodox churches, His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine Onufrey turned to them with letters in which he informed them about the current situation in Ukrainian Orthodoxy and also stated the attitude of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to the initiatives of granting a "tomos concerning autocephaly." As of now it is known that primates and councils of bishops of local Orthodox churches have expressed a cautious and negative attitude toward the rendering of the aforesaid tomos as a means of overcoming the schism in Ukrainian Orthodoxy. In particular, among local churches there is a common opinion about the necessity of the return of schismatic church groups into the bosom of the canonical church, which will permit the discussion of the issue of the status of a united canonical church.
Such a position of the local Orthodox churches of the world coincides with the position of our church. Since the beginning of the emergence of a schism, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has consistently advocated the restoration of church unity. However, it is our profound conviction that the path to restoration of church unity and to a possible autocephalous status should not lie through the legalization of the schism and its replacement of the church of Christ. In particular, in the resolution of the Jubilee Sobor of the UPTs, which was held in the Holy Dormition Kiev caves lavra on 8 July 2011, it was noted that "restoration of the unity of Ukrainian Orthodoxy should proceed in accordance with the canons of the Orthodox Church, without the interference of political forces and through the return of those who have left to the bosom of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church" (point 11).
The chief criterion in the adoption of all church decisions is benefit to the church and the method of adopting such decisions must consist in conciliar discussion of questions that are important and critical both for the individual local Orthodox church and also for the entire world Orthodoxy. Any exclusive or unilateral actions within the church are a violation of the principle of conciliarity and they threaten the unity of the church.
From the modern history of the Orthodox church in Ukraine one may draw the conclusion that violation of the principle of conciliarity, the absence of feeling of the pulse of real, internal church life, and also interference of political and other non-church forces in the internal affairs of the church itself have led to the eruption of schism in Ukrainian Orthodoxy.
Discussion about the granting of autocephalous status to the Orthodox church in Ukraine has gone on for almost 100 years now. However, in all this time all initiatives in this direction have lacked the spirit of conciliarity and the observation of ecclesiastical rules, which has led to the unauthorized formation of uncanonical structures: first the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and then the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate.
In this way, historical experience points to the fact that the absence of canonical awareness and obedience to the church, the absence of conciliar discussion of important church questions, the shortage of patience and mutual understanding, pride, and the interference of political factors in church questions—all of this has led not to church unity but only to schisms. And thus this is a mistaken path which the church of Christ has to go.
The history of the church attests to the fact that those attempts at unity, conducted "from above," were often perceived by the church people as having political causes and as not taking into account the peculiarities of internal church life. After such "unifications" on the initiative of, and with the active participation of governmental authority, churches became empty, because the church people felt the artificiality of such "unifications." Interference in this process by forces outside of the church may also further divide our people, and instead of the unity desired by all of us, we may get yet more division.
Autocephalous status has a purely technical ecclesiastical character, which consists in the facilitating of the preaching of the Gospel on the territory of an individual state, and it cannot be an instrument in the geopolitical struggle. At the same time, autocephalous status is granted to the whole church within the bounds of a particular territory. Therefore it is necessary to recognize that the appearance of another parallel jurisdiction in Ukraine may engender new contradictions within our people and not only threaten the security of the state but also place in question the possibility of the future unity of the church in Ukraine. Our people may be divided for a long time, if not forever.
The way out of this situation is seen in the restoration of ecclesiastical unity in Ukraine, and not in the strengthening of church division by means of the establishment of a parallel church jurisdiction. We share the concern of the governing authorities of Ukraine about the existence of church schism in our country. However we consider that for a successful resolution of this problem other conditions are needed, in particular peace and stability in our state. We have always facilitated and will facilitate the state in matters of moral and patriotic education, but we oppose the use of the church in the geopolitical struggle. We confirm our openness and readiness for any constructive cooperation and dialogue with the goal of achieving church unity.
Dear masters, fathers, monks and nuns, brothers and sisters, faithful children of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church!
We call all of you to recall that we all are members of the church that is the Body of Christ (Ep. 1.22-23). We are all different, but we belong to a single family of Christ, the Holy Church. We all are responsible for the unity of the church and this unity we must cherish and defend. It should not be forgotten that the church was created not by people but by God. The cornerstone of the whole church existence is our Lord and God Jesus Christ. The mission of Christ's church consists in preaching the Gospel of Christ, achieving the gracious transformation of the world through the Holy Sacraments, and teaching people to live in accordance with the commandments of God. It is for this reason that the Church of Christ lives by its rules, which cannot be changed in accord with the ephemeral political situation. The only path to the restoration of church unity consists in ceasing any external interference in church affairs and granting to the Holy Church the possibility of independently and with God's help healing the wound of the division of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.
Every generation of Orthodox Christians is responsible for the maintenance of the purity of its faith and the observance of ecclesiastical canonical procedure. Such a responsibility today lies on all of us, archpastors, pastors, monks, and the entire believing church people.
We call all of you, dear masters, fathers, honest monastics, brothers and sisters, to the "unity of the spirit in the bond of peace" (Ep. 4.3), and to the preservation and maintenance of church unity. We are members of Christ's Church and always remain in her bosom.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the unity of the Holy Spirit be with us all (2 Co. 13.13).
In the name of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
+Onufrey, Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine,
primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Chruch
(tr. by PDS, posted 25 May 2018)
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