| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Interview of chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovary The chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovary, gave an interview to the Newsone, a Ukrainian news TV channel. - How is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church preparing for the 2021 Procession with the Cross? - Just in the same way as in previous years. The faithful in their parishes in dioceses are forming groups of pilgrims for coming to the capital city, and we here, in the Metropolis of Kiev, deal with organization of all the necessary activities. And their range is broad - fr om accommodation of visitors to negotiations with the authorities concerning the procedures involved in the Procession with the Cross. I would like to note that we have given special attention to quarantine measures. First, the church authority calls all the faithful who feel unwell to refrain from the trip to the capital city. Secondly, in all the buses in which people from dioceses will ride to Kiev, their temperature will be measured. It is also required that pilgrims should actively use medical masks. In addition, we very much rely on the effective work of those state bodies who are to ensure the safety of our march. Indeed, considering the difficult situation, which has recently developed on the political plane, as well as the focus of certain forces on stirring up the social situation, anything may happen. In the first place, I mean the threats of provocations aimed at informational discretization of our Church. Regrettably, in previous years we encountered such things. For instance, when the actions of a particular provocateur, who pink-slipped the prayer march with forbidden political symbolic, were presented by some mass media as the attitude of the whole Ukrainian Orthodox Church. |
| Statement of the ROC Holy Synod Regarding the Encroachment of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on the Canonical Territory of the Russian Church Source: DECR Holy Synod meeting in Belarus With profound pain the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church has taken the report of the Patriarchate of Constantinople published on October 11, 2018, about the following decisions of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople: confirming the intention ‘to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church; opening a ‘stauropegion’ of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Kiev; ‘restoring in the rank of bishop or priest’ the leaders of the Ukrainian schism and their followers and ‘returning their faithful to church communion’; ‘recalling the 1686 patent of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on the transfer of the Metropolis of Kiev to the Moscow Patriarchate as its part. These unlawful decisions of the Synod were adopted by the Church of Constantinople unilaterally, ignoring the appeals of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the plenitude of the Russian Orthodox Church as well as sister Local Orthodox Churches, their primates and hierarchs to hold a pan-Orthodox discussion of the issue. Entering into communion with those who deviated into schism and the more so with those who are excommunicated from the Church is tantamount to deviation into schism and is severely condemned by the canons of the Holy Church: ‘If any one of the bishops , presbyters , or deacons , or any one in the Canon shall be found communicating with excommunicated persons , let him also be excommunicated as one who brings confusion on the order of the Church ’ (Council of Antioch Canon 2; Apostolic Canons 10, 11). The decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople ‘to restore’ the canonical status and admit to communion former Metropolitan Philaret Denisenko excommunicated from the Church ignores a number of successive decisions of Bishops’ Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church, the validity of which is beyond doubt. |
| Met. Onuphry Becomes a Target: Labeled Enemy of Ukraine, Told to Leave, Receives Death Threats Source: OrthoChristian Photo: spzh.news The negative consequences of Constantinople’s interference in Ukrainian Orthodoxy are continuing to unravel, and are taking on a more violent character, of which many within the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox Churches have repeatedly warned, to the scorn of those who support the granting of autocephaly to Ukrainian schismatics. Now His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, Primate of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has become the target of online threats, including death threats, from Ukrainian schismatic-radicals. As the Union of Orthodox Journalists reports, Met. Onuphry has now been added to the Mirotvorets (“Peacemaker”) database that collects information on anyone deemed to be an enemy of Ukraine or a threat to national security. OrthoChristian reported just two days ago that His Eminence Metropolitan Paul of Vyshogorod and Chernobyl, the abbot of the Kiev Caves Lavra, was added to the site after he warned of attacks being planned against the Lavra. His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir of Pochaev, the abbot of the Pochaev Lavra, was also added to the database earlier this year . The site is known to publish personal information of its “enemies,” and some of those people have been known to wind up dead . Site founder George Tuka responded to the murder of Ukrainian author Oles Buzina and former Verkhovna Rada Deputy Oleg Kalashnikov just days after the site published their home addresses in April 2015 by saying, “This site contains data on more than 25,000 men. More than 300 of them are either arrested or killed. So why should I worry about some two lowlifes who are guilty of war?” Clergy of the UOC previously included in the site’s database have also received threats. Thus, the inclusion of Met. Onuphry and several other bishops in the Mirotvorets database is no game, and no laughing matter. Moreover, the site is in fact a Ukrainian government site. While it declares itself to be an independent NGO, it isn’t hard to establish the many links. The site was launched in December 2014 by politician and activist George Tuka, as he announced on his Facebook page . Tuka served as the governor of the Lugansk Province from 2015-2016, and has served as Deputy Minister for the Ukrainian Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs since April 2016. |
| His Holiness Patriarch Kirill Calls Local Orthodox Churches to Not Recognize the New “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” Source: DECR A deep wound has been inflicted on the canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine and worldwide, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia wrote in the letters addressed to the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches. The messages were sent to His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria, His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia, His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania, His Holiness Patriarch Neophytos of Bulgaria, His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus, His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece, His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania, His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, His Beatitude Metropolitan Rastislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada. As His Holiness Patriarch Kirill informed them, on December 15, a gathering of “hierarchs,” “clergy” and laity of two Ukrainian schismatic groups took place in Kiev with the direct involvement and under the direct patronage of the government authorities of Ukraine. The participants in that unlawful assembly at the historical Sophia Cathedral in Kiev proclaimed themselves “unification council.” That so-called unification was, in fact, a merger between two schismatic organizations which formed one. Taking part in the “council” were false bishops of the schismatic “Kievan patriarchate” and of another uncanonical structure – “Ukrainian autocephalous orthodox church.” “Meanwhile, the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine, recognized in the entire Orthodox world, refused, in accordance with the decision of its Holy Synod of December 7, to participate in this event, considering it an “unlawful gathering.” Despite the fact that the archpastors of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were brought under enormous pressure, out of its 90 hierarchs only 2 (one diocesan and one vicar) took part in the pseudo-council. For falling into the schism and flagrantly violating the episcopal oath they both were relieved of their posts and suspended from serving by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of December 17,” the letters said. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Three hierarchs of Bulgarian Orthodox Church make statement on situation in Ukraine Metropolitans Gabriel of Lovech, John of Varna and Veliki Preslavl and Daniel of Vidin stated their considerations about the alarming situation in which the Orthodox Church in Ukraine has found herself. They have made the following statement, which was published on October 9, 2018, on the official site of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church: At its session on October 4, 2018, the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Bulgarian Patriarchate (BOC-BP) considered Letter No. 599 of October 3, 2918, from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia concerning the alarming situation in which the Orthodox Church in Ukraine has found herself and the actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church – Moscow Patriarchate in the above-mentioned country. After the letter was read out, various opinions were expressed in the course of a discussion. Each of the much-esteemed fellow-hierarchs, who wished to share his opinion on the issue under consideration, had an opportunity to do it. Motivated by our hierarchal conscience we express the following considerations: First, an impression is created that there is a discrepancy between the motives stated by the Patriarchate of Constantinople concerning its unilateral interference in the affairs of another Local Church and the developments actually taking place because of this interference. It is stated that in progress there is a search for ways for overcoming the divisions existing among the Orthodox people in Ukraine. At the present stage however, the Orthodox who confess their spiritual unity with the Ukrainian Church of the Moscow Patriarchate are experiencing violence and are victimized. The question arises: What will happen to these people if, because of Constantinople’s stated intentions for Ukraine, another canonical Orthodox structure will be created along with the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate? |
| Archbishop Clement: Nationalists are Already Killing our Priests and Capturing Churches Source: DECR Archbishop Clement (Vecheria) of Nezhin and Priluki Archbishop Clement, an official representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and chairman of the Synodal Information and Education Department, answered questions from Komsomolskaya Pravda daily: The conflict between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate (of Constantinople) has reached its climax. At its session in Minsk, the ROC Synod adopted a decision to halt the Eucharistic communion with Constantinople. It was caused by the decision of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to launch a process of granting the Tomos (a decree on legalization – auth .) to the Ukrainian local church, which is believed to be schismatic. In simple words, the secular Ukrainian power wishes that the country had its own Orthodox church that would have nothing to do with the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Because, in the understanding of those who rule the country now, every Moscow thing is linked with hated Russia. – The first among representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to support the decision of the Synod of Constantinople was Metropolitan Alexander (Drabinko) of Pereyaslv-Khmelnitsky and Vishneva. He declared himself a cleric of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Did he inform you about this decision? – Metropolitan Alexander has never concealed his position. It has been built in accordance with new political realities, although before that he had been quite loyal to the previous authorities as well. It is his personal affair. As bishop, he did not make any official statement about whether he would take part in some uncanonical actions in support of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. All his statements voiced in the mass media are very contradictory. – Is there a mechanism for such moves? – There is no such mechanisms. It is not supposed that a person can leave the Church and move to a schism. It is an abnormal situation. Actually, it develops like this. One begins to serve together with schismatics. Then it becomes obvious that he has left the Church and moved to an unrecognized structure. |
| WASHINGTON (CNS) -- During the week following the pan-Orthodox council, which wrapped June 26 in Crete, Greece, Orthodox clergy in the U.S. reflected on what the council would mean for Orthodox Christians here. Going into the council, the most pressing issue for American Orthodox Christians was the question of the diaspora: how the church’s hierarchy should work in lands that are not traditionally Orthodox, but where different groups of Orthodox Christians now live, like in America and Australia. In these places, various Orthodox churches like the Greek, Russian and Ukrainian coexist, meaning that a city like New York can have 10 bishops from five different Orthodox churches. This current organization conflicts with the Orthodox canon, or law, that there should be only one church authority in each region. The final message and encyclical from the Holy and Great Council made no changes to the current structure but affirmed the importance of the governing episcopal assemblies, which bring together the different bishops in these regions. “The council decided to encourage their (the episcopal assemblies’) continuation until the situation in the various regions matured for future development,” said American Greek Orthodox Father John Chryssavgis, who attended the council. The American assembly, called the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, is the largest in the world, with almost 60 bishops. Greek Orthodox Father Patrick Viscuso, a member of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation, said the affirmation of episcopal assemblies is “actually a wonderful thing.” “Episcopal assemblies are a first step for sorting out the canonical structure of the Church and bringing about canonical normalcy,” Father Viscuso told Catholic News Service in a phone interview from New Jersey. He said the assemblies are helpful in terms of pooling the Orthodox churches’ resources, and that while they won’t eliminate the priority of ethnic identities in the Orthodox Church, they are a step closer to ensuring the church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. |
| Round-table conference in Kiev urges to revoke the anti-church “law on renaming " / News / Patriarchate.ru Russian Orthodox Church Official website of the Moscow Patriarchate Main news Bishop Konstantin of Zaraisk confirmed in office as Patriarchal Exarch of Africa His Holiness Patriarch Kirill had phone conversation with Metropolitan Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presides over jubilee meeting of Inter-Religious Council of Russia His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with students of Higher Diplomatic Courses Primate of Russian Church presents historic miracle-working Kazan Icon of the Mother of God to the faithful and celebrates Liturgy in the Kremlin Dormition Cathedral Archive Main / Church and state Round-table conference in Kiev urges to revoke the anti-church “law on renaming " Version for print 21 December 2021 year 10:21 On December 20, 2021, an international round-table conference was held in the Kiev Laura of the Caves on “The years-long attempts to compulsory rename the Ukrainian Orthodox Church: Consequences, assessments, comments”. Before the beginning of the event, a briefing was given by Archpriest Alexander Bakhov, head of the UOC Synodal Legal Department; Archpriest Nikolay Danilevich, deputy head of the UOC Department for External Church Relations, and Mr Yury Reshetnikov, a religious expert, who spoke about the tasks of the round-table. Archpriest Nikolay Danilevich reminded the journalists that it was three years since, under the former Ukrainian President Poroshenko, the so-called law on the renaming was adopted. He stressed that this utterly manipulative and propagandistic law was targeted against the largest confession in Ukraine. “We are the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and her faithful are citizens of Ukraine and, accordingly, we will defend our Church and the name of our Church to the end. Today we will speak about it in detail”, the priest said. The head of the UOC Synodal Legal Department said this legislative act No. |
| Archive Metropolitan Hilarion: US Secretary of State Pompeo cancelled the meeting an hour before it, under the pressure of ill-wishers 8 November 2019 year 10:46 Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations, told the KP daily how he was received in Washington, how the church situation has changed under Zelensky and whether Russia needs building ‘three churches a day’. Under Zelensky the faithful have been able to sigh with relief – Your Eminence, you were the first in the Russian Orthodox Church to congratulate Vladimir Zelensky on his victory in the Ukrainian presidential election. Later you thanked him for his non-interference in the Church’s affairs. Have any positive movements been made with regard to the canonical Church oppressed there? If the Ukrainian schismatics wished ‘burning in hell’ to those who had voted for Zelensky, does it mean that he does not support them, at least tacitly? – President Zelensky stated in pubic that he would not support either side of today’s interreligious confrontation in Ukraine and that he would not interfere in church affairs. This very favourably compares him with his predecessor Mr. Poroshenko, who made ‘Ukraine’s obtaining autocephaly’, as it was described, a part of his pre-election campaign. The faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate could sign with relief because the campaign for capturing churches, which was carried out with the support of Poroshenko’s regime, has actually fizzled out today. The discriminatory laws introduced by Poroshenko have not been revoked as yet but there is a hope that under the new president, justice will be established in this respect as well. – Did the UOC primate, Metropolitan Onufry, tell you about his meetings with the new president? – He did not, but I know from other sources that these meetings are constructive. Why have the Greeks recognized the Ukrainian schismatics? – What has made the Orthodox Church of Greece recognize now the schismatic ‘Orthodox Church of Ukraine’? |
| Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany Issues an Open Letter to the German Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops Source: ROCOR Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany, First Vice President of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and ruling bishop of the German Diocese, appealed to his brother hierarchs of the German Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in which he objects to the one-sided coverage of events in Ukraine. Vladyka Mark points to the intolerable pressure being exerted upon the traditional Ukrainian Orthodox Church under its canonical leader, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. The letter also mentions the political pressure being placed on other Local Orthodox Churches. At the same time, the hierarch of the oldest Orthodox diocese in Germany urges open dialog between the members of the Assembly of Bishops in Germany, which has suffered serious harm, as has all of Orthodox Christianity throughout the world, from the unilateral actions of the Constantinople Patriarchate. Vladyka Mark stresses that the Church must not be drawn into the sphere of political conflict and division, which does not serve the matter of peace. Archbishop Mark also mentions the peace-making experience of his own diocese, which made an active contribution towards the overcoming of the old division within the Russian Orthodox Church, which directly contradicts the processes that are in play initiated by the enemies of the Church. Dialog must be held, in his opinion, in the proper way under today’s circumstances, a challenge to the President of the Assembly of Bishops, Metropolitan Augustine, whose signature under the “tomos” is mentioned critically and with sorrow: An open letter to all members of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in Germany Munich, January 30/February 12, 2019 The Feast of the Three Hierarchs: John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian and Basil the Great Your Eminences and Excellencies: It is with a saddened heart that I, as archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Berlin and Germany (ROCOR), take this opportunity to clarify our diocese’s position on the current developments among the Orthodox. |
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