HOLY SYNOD OF ORTHODOX CHURCH OF UKRAINE HELD ITS SESSION AND ADOPTED A NUMBER OF DECISIONS
United Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 5 February 2019
On 5 February 2019, in the Metropolitan's Building at the cathedral of Holy Wisdom of Kiev, a session of the Holy Synod of the Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church was held.
During the session, the titles of the bishops of the local church were confirmed, and the procedure for naming the dioceses was established in the event that these names are duplicated; in such a case, the diocese is named in accordance with the dual title of the bishop.
Religious organizations that were constituent elements of each diocese as of 15 December 2018 remain as constituent elements of the respective diocese. Transfer of clergy and parishes between dioceses of the local church is possible only on the basis of canonical rules, that is, with the consent of the bishops of both dioceses, confirmed by corresponding documents.
It was decided that His Holiness Patriarch Filaret continues to rule the Kiev diocese, consisting of parishes and monasteries of the metropolia of Kiev (excluding the St. Michael's Golden-Domed monastery) that were in subordination to him as the Patriarch of Kiev and all-Rus-Ukraine prior to 15 December 2018.
Considering the special significance of the St. Michael's Golden-Domed monastery of the city of Kiev, its vicar abbot, Archbishop of Vyshgorod Agapit, has rights equal to those of a diocesan bishop.
The synod considered and adopted a model charter for the administration of a diocese for the dioceses of the local church. The organizational question of the Vinnytsia diocese was also considered.
At the suggestion of the primate, Metropolitan of Vinnytsia and Barskoe Simeon was confirmed as the chief secretary of the Holy Synod.
In connection with the election of the rector of the Kiev Orthodox Theological Academy, Metropolitan Epifany, as the primate, the former first prorector, Archpriest Alexander Trofimliuk, was appointed to the vacant position. Prorector Professor Archpriest A. Trofimliuk also was appointed chairman of the Department of Ecclesiastical Education and Theology.
Metropolitan of Cherkassy and Chigirin Ioann was confirmed as the chairman of the synod's Department of Military Clergy. Archbishop of Donetsk and Mariupol Sergei was confirmed as the chairman of the Department of Social Ministry and Charity.
Taking into account the special importance of the administration of the development of external church relations, the leadership of the Department for External Church Relations was retained by the primate.
In order to coordinate efforts of the church for helping victims of violations of human rights and persons who are illegally incarcerated who are located on occupied territories of Ukraine and in the Russian Federation, an "Orthodox Mission of Aid to Victims of Violations of Human Rights and Incarcerated Persons" was created. Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea Kliment was appointed head of the mission.
All decisions were adopted with the complete consent of all members of the synod. (tr. by PDS, posted 5 February 2019)
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