Constantinople meets with Ukrainian Orthodox (UOC-KP)

I do not hear many kind words from Orthodox friends about the Kyiv patriarchate - I should take this for a given as most of them are converts into the Russian Church. I hope this whole thing gets sorted out peaceably, but considering a bishop of one patriarchate just beat up a priest from another (sending him to the hospital) my hope is tempered with trepidation.

Kyiv (RISU) — On 20 May 2008, Patriarch of Kyiv and All Russ-Ukraine Filaret Denysenko met with a delegation of the Universal Patriarchate of Constantinople (UPC) at his residence in Kyiv. The delegation visited Ukraine on 19-20 May on the invitation of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and included Metropolitan Emmanuel of Gaul [or France even :) ], the General Secretary of the UPC Synod, Archimandrite Elpidophorus, and archpriest Vasylii. According to the UOC-KP press center, Patriarch Filaret presented the UOC-KP’s position on most of the problematic issues within the Ukrainian Church and answered the delegation’s questions.

The meeting was also attended by the Rector of the Kyivan Orthodox Theological Academy, Archbishop Dymytrii (Rudiuk) of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi, the patriarch’s secretary, Archimandrite Yevstratii, the deputy head of Ukrainian President’s cabinet, Yurii Bohutskyi, a cabinet official, Andrii Tkachuk, and a Ukrainian deputy, Petro Yushchenko.

Patriarch Filaret stressed that the UOC-KP is ready for constructive dialogue about problems within the Ukrainian Church, “if it leads to the establishment of a single Particular and Autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.”

Metropolitan Emmanuel responded that the delegation’s visit was aimed at getting acquainted with the Ukrainian Church and its problems at the local level. According to the metropolitan, the UPC closely follows the developments in the Ukrainian Church and seeks to assist in solving its problems as the mother-church. I'm sure Moscow appreciates that.The delegation’s participants also noted that constructive dialogue about problems within the Ukrainian Church is one of the most important ways of reaching solutions, and were thus pleased to hear the UOC-KP’s steps to establish dialogue with UOC-MP.

The meeting ended with exchange of presents and wishes for a constructive resolution to the existing problems of the Ukrainian Church.