PATRIARCH FILARET INVITES BISHOPS OF FORMER UPTsKP TO KIEV FOR "FRATERNAL FELLOWSHIP"
Vladyka Filaret sent to bishops of the former UPTsKP [Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate] invitations for 13-14 May for a "festive prayerful fellowship" in Kiev in commemoration of the holy martyr Makary, on the letterhead of the UPTsKP. The current primate of the PTsU, Metropolitan Epifany, did not receive such an invitation, Levyi Bereg reports, with reference to the official Telegramm channel of Sonya Koshkina.
"On 14 May the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate commemorates the holy martyr Makary, Metropolitan of Kiev [d. 1 May 1497]. Continuing tradition, I invite you to participate in a prayerful celebration in honor of the holy martyr Makary at his sacred relics in an all-night vigil (13 May 2019) and a Divine Liturgy (14 May 2019) in the St. Vladimir's cathedral church in the city of Kiev, and in fraternal fellowship in the name of affirmation of the unity of our holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has received the long-awaited tomos concerning autocephaly," the letter says, which is signed "Filaret, Patriarch of Kiev and all-Rus-Ukraine."
"That's just what is being done—notice—on the letterhead of the Kiev patriarchate, which now does not exist. On 15 December 2018, Filaret personally signed a paper about its dissolution for the sake of subsequent movement into the ranks of the PTsU," the report on Sonya Koshkina's official Telegramm channel says.
Metropolitan Epifany did not receive such an invitation. "Not that Epifany was strongly disturbed; he has other plans for Tuesday—a visit to the Donbass. But, you will agree, the situation is abnormal. It exposes a serious conflict between Filaret and Epifany," Sonya Koshkina notes.
The absence of an invitation to an event that is important for the church may testify to the fact that Vladyka Filaret is displeased with the newly-formed PTsU and may create hindrances for its normal activity "all the way to an attempt to convene a local council in order to revise the charter of the PTsU," about which the former head of the UPTsKP has spoken several times in various interviews. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 May 2019)
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