Ecumenical Patriarchate dives into Ukraine issue

(UOC-USA) - On June 8, 2015 in the Academic Hall of Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy at St. Michael's Monastery, a joint meeting of the Committees for Dialogue of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church took place, which resulted in the acceptance of the formal statement, addressing the importance of the joint efforts towards unity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, especially the unity of the UOC-KP and UAOC.

With the blessing of Ecumenical Patriarch, as observers at the meetings were His Grace Bishop Daniel, the Ruling Hierarch and President of the Consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and His Grace Bishop Ilarion of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada. The presence of Bishops of the Permanent Conference of the Ukrainian Orthodox Bishops Beyond the Borders of Ukraine confirmed the concern and the attention and support of the Mother Church of Constantinople to the unification process of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.

A final decision of the joint meeting of the Committees for dialogue of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church with Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate with Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church

St. Michael's Monastery, Kyiv - June 8, 2015

Gathered at a joint meeting in the presence of observers from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, His Grace Bishop Ilarion, Bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, and His Grace Bishop Daniel, Bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA; and the UAOC Commission for dialogue with the UOC MP and UOC-KP Commission for dialogue with the UAOC together decided the following.

1. To express appreciation to His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and the Mother Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Diaspora for sending observers of this dialogue.

2. State that decisions V UAOC under the Local Council (4-5 June 2015) and the UOC-KP under decisions of the Holy Synod (from May 12, 2015), intend and desire in the near time to unite in a single national Orthodox Ukrainian Church.

3. Recognize that according to canonical norms, statutes of both churches and laws of Ukraine, the unification of both Churches is possible through the Unification Council.

4. Offer the Primate of the UAOC and the Council of Bishops and Primate of the UOC-KP and the Holy Synod immediately, by June 30, 2015, to decide on the convening of the Unity Council for final unification of UAOC and the UOC-KP into a single national church.

5. The composition of delegates for the Unity Council is defined on an equal basis, all the bishops of the UAOC and UOC-KP, and one delegate for every fifteen registered religious organizations (base number of religious organizations is determined on the basis of official data on registration Ministry of Culture of Ukraine as of January 1, 2015). The final determination of representation within the UAOC and the UOC-KP depends on the decisions of their statutory bodies.

6. Following the decision to convene the Council (in accordance with Para. 4 of the final decision) Commissions for dialogue between the UAOC and the UOC-KP converted into common Pre-Sobor Commission, which is preparing for Council. The Pre-Sobor Commission is an equal number of bishops and representatives from the clergy and laity of the UOC-KP and UAOC, but no more than seven on each side. Chairman of relevant Committees for dialogue of Pre-Sobor Committee are co-chairs of the Commission. The observers from the Ecumenical Patriarchate will be invited to participate in such commission.

7. The date of the Unification Council proposed to convene on Sept. 14, 2015, the day the beginning of the Church year. The venue of the Unity Council intended Saint Sophia Cathedral.

8. After deciding to convene the Council (in accordance with Para. 4 of the final decision) in time for the council imposed a moratorium on the transition of parishes and bishops from one jurisdiction to another.

9. According to the approved in the Ecumenical Patriarchate of 2000 Symfonitikon, provisions define that freedom of liturgical concelebration and Eucharistic unity of Primates, bishops and clergy of the UAOC and the UOC-KP, according to their mutual agreement.

10. From the opening of the Unity Council and to the adoption of the Unification Council decision to merge the UAOC and the UOC-KP and the election of one Primate of the United Church, Primate UAOC and the UOC-KP is co-chaired the Unification Council.

11. Unification Council will address all proposals submitted and Conditions approved by UAOC (4-5 June 2015) and the Holy Synod of the UOC KP (12 May 2015), including questions about the Primate and the name of the united Church, taking into account the position of the Council on UAOC’s name for the united Church "Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Kyiv Patriarchate." Decisions on all issues of the Unification Council decided by a majority vote.

This final decision is composed of three identical copies, each three pages certified by the Chairmen of the Committees, signed by all members of the two Commissions present at the meeting and certified by observers from the Ecumenical Patriarch. In order to inform both churches completeness final decision is published in the media.

SIGNATURES:

UAOC Commission

+Andriy, Metropolitan of Halych
+Mstyslav, Archbishop of Ternopil
Archpriest Nikolai Kavchak (Lviv diocese)
Archpriest Eugene Shuvar (Ivano-Frankivsk eparchy)
Archpriest George Kushniryuk (Kiev diocese)

UOC-KP Commission

+Dymytriy, Metropolitan of Lviv
+Yevstratii, Archbishop of Chernigov
Archpriest Alexander Trofymlyuk (Kyiv)
Archpriest Alexei Holovatsky (Ternopil diocese)
Archpriest Mikhail Lesyuk (Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky diocese)


Observers

+Ilarion, Bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
+Daniel, Bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA