Notes from Ukrainian Church's Synod

If you are asking, "Which UOC is this?" It's not the UOC built by Constantinople. It's the UOC that we used to call the UOC-MP before it broke away from Russia recently.

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(UOC) - On 23 November 2022, after a Divine Liturgy in the church of St. Nicholas at the residence of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a regular meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine took place. The Information and Education Department of the UOC publishes the results of the meeting of the Holy Synod of the UOC.

Due to the fact that on 5 June 2022 His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia granted a Tomos on the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church decided to enter the name of the Primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church into the diptych. The name of His Beatitude Archbishop Stefan of Ohrid and Macedonia will henceforth be commemorated by the Primate of our Church at every divine service.

The next issue considered by the Synod was the issue of renewing chrism-preparation in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Historically chrism-preparation in the Kyiv Metropolitanate started in the middle of the XV century. Afterwards Holy Chrism was prepared in the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Caves Lavra. That practice stopped in Ukraine because of the revolutionary events of 1917. The Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church which took place on 27 May 2022 in Kyiv had discussions concerning the renewal of chrism-preparation.

Having regard thereto, the Holy Synod decided to renew chrism-preparation in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, for which a relevant commission headed by Archbishop Victor of Artsyz, a vicar of the Odesa Diocese, was established. This is a big deal. Once a church decides to do this it really never goes back. You might also want to know that the Ecumenical Patriarchate reserves the ability to make chrism to itself when it makes new bodies. As such, the UOC-EP gets her chrism from Constantinople.

Then the members of the Synod adopted the text of a Statement, in which a number of important issues are considered.

In response to the report of Metropolitan Agathangel of Odesa and Izmail, the Synod established a nunnery of the Icon of the Holy Theotokos «The Healer» in the Odesa Diocese.

Then the Synod approved the fathers superiors for two monasteries: the Monastery of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Tserkovshchyna in Kyiv and the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration of the Saviour in the village of Neshcheriv in the Kyiv region. 

The members of the Synod approved the mothers superiors for the Nunnery of the Korsun Icon of the Theotokos in the Nova Kakhovka Diocese and for the Hustynia Nunnery of the Holy Trinity in the Nizhyn Diocese.

In response to the request of Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kaniv, the feast of the Synaxis of the Saints of Cherkasy and a Cossack (of the Protection of the Holy Theotokos) Saturday of Souls with the commemoration of deceased Cossacks and warriors who had given their lives for the Orthodox faith were established.

Apart from that, a commemoration day of St. Abbacum, the Confessor of Cherkasy, was established.

Upon request of Metropolitan Filaret of Nova Kakhovka and Henichesk, the names of holy martyrs Priests Stefan (Kostohryz) and Demetrius (Kiranov) were added to the Synaxis of the Saints of Kherson.

The following liturgical texts were approved for church use:

• the service and the Akathist to Kyiv Brotherhood Icon of the Theotokos;
• the Akathist to St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo;
• the rite of diaconal burying and the rite of the consecration of a chapel;
• prayerful signing for children, for warriors and for people deprived of home;
• texts of prayers for prisoners and lost people.

The Synod also took a number of decisions related to positions:

1. In response to the report on the worsening of health conditions, Metropolitan Joasaph of Kirovohrad and Novomyrhorod was released from administering the Kirovohrad Diocese. Archbishop Nicholas of Vasylkiv was appointed the Administrator of the Kirovohrad Diocese. Metropolitan Joasaph will henceforth serve as a vicar of the Kyiv Metropolitanate.
2. Archimandrite Hilary (Havrylets), a clergyman of the Mukachevo Diocese, was elected Bishop of Svaliava, a vicar of the Mukachevo Diocese.
3. Archimandrite Jacob (Halandzovsky), a clergyman of the Kyiv Diocese, was elected Bishop of Drohobych, a vicar of the Lviv Diocese.
4. Metropolitan Seraphim of Ivano-Frankivsk and Colomyia was released from administering the Ivano-Frankivsk Diocese and was retired. Archimandrite Nicetas (Storozhuk), a clergyman of the Chernivtsi and Bukovyna Diocese, was elected the ruling bishop of the Ivano-Frankivsk Diocese.
5. Metropolitan Elisha of Izium and Kupiansk was released from administering the Izium Diocese and was retired. Archimandrite John (Ternovetskyi), a clergyman of the Kharkiv Diocese, was elected the Administrator of the Izium Diocese.
6. Metropolitan Joseph of Romny and Buryn was released from administering the Romny Diocese and was retired. Bishop Tikhon of Hostomel, was had previously been a vicar of the Kyiv Metropolitanate, was appointed His Eminence Metropolitan of Romny and Buryn.