UOC Kiev Patriarchate / UAOC dialogue breaks down

(RISU) - The unification process between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, which began last autumn, failed.

According to the Kyivan Patriarchate, the clergymen of the UAOC are to blame for the failure of the dialogue. Representatives of the Kyivan Patriarchate particularly accuse Metropolitans Mefodii and Andrii, who laid down an unacceptable condition, the resignation of Patriarch Filaret. On December 13, in Kyiv, the bishops of the UOC-KP at their synod passed an address stating their position in this regard, reported the website of UOC-KP.

The bishops reminded in the document that the two churches made repeated attempts to unite.

“The first attempt to unite was made in 2000-2001, when Symphoniticon was signed at the residence of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople and later agreements were reached at a meeting in Ternopil. However, these agreements did not result in unification as the head of UAOC, Metropolitan Mefodii and some other bishops laid down the condition of resignation of Patriarch Filaret of Kyiv and All Rus for the unification. This condition was also laid down was during the second attempt of dialogue in autumn, 2005,” reads the address.

The bishops of the Kyivan Patriarchate cannot accept these conditions by any means as they view Patriarch Filaret as one with the biggest experience of the bishop’s ministry. In addition, they consider the dismissal of Patriarch Filaret to be “the dream of the Moscow Patriarchate of many years,” which they now try to fulfill “through the mentioned representatives of UAOC.”

The Synod of UOC-KP reminded that many representatives of the higher ranks of clergy of UAOC were once part of the Kyivan Patriarchate but left that church due to conflicts.

“Metropolitan Mefodii in 1995, was the administrator of UOC-KP, Metropolitan Andrii was a permanent member of the Holy Synod in 1992-1995. Most of the present bishops of UAOC are former priests of the Kyivan Patriarchate who left our church for the sake of obtaining the positions of the bishops.”