FILARET SENT INVITATION TO P.Ts.U. PRIMATE AFTER ALL
Honorary Patriarch Filaret invited Metropolitan Epifany to honor the memory of the holy martyr Makary on 14 May. The invitation to come to a joint prayer was printed on letterhead of the nonexistent Kiev patriarchate.
"Information has reached me from news media that you expressed displeasure that I had not invited you to the celebration of the memory of the holy martyr Makary, metropolitan of Kiev," Vladyka Filaret wrote on his Facebook page.
The honorary patriarch of the PTsU explained why he had not sent an invitation earlier:
"The reason is that after your election as primate of the UPTs you have not once celebrated the Divine Liturgy with me, over the course of five months. It occurred to me, perhaps it is a mistake, that you consider it humiliating for yourself to serve with Patriarch Filaret? In addition, as I have learned, you are trying to celebrate the liturgy, whether in the city of Dnepr or in the city of Mariupol and to gather there bishops of our church as a counterweight to celebration in the city of Kiev in St. Vladimir's cathedral, where the sacred relics of the holy martyr Makary are located," he declared.
"Therefore, inasmuch as by your displeasure you expressed the desire to participate in the celebration of the patron of our Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the holy martyr Makary metropolitan of Kiev, I with joy invite Your Beatitude to the feast day of the holy prelate Makary in the patriarchal cathedral church on 14 May 2019, where we annually assemble the entire episcopate for affirming our unity and strengthening our church," Vladyka Filaret added.
We recall that days ago Honorary Patriarch Filaret sent to bishops an invitation to the feast day in the name of the liquidated UPTsKP. The honorary patriarch also declared that the Kiev patriarchate still exists.
A number of experts believe that Vladyka
Filaret intends to
convene a council at which to change the charter of the PTsU and
to proclaim a
patriarchate with himself as patriarch. (tr. by PDS, posted 10 May
2019)
Background article:
Conflict between Ukrainian church
leaders
May 8, 2019
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