Russian Church Regrets the Decision of UOC Dioceses to Stop Commemorating Patriarch Kirill

OCP News Service – 30/5/2022

Moscow-Russia: The extraordinary meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church held on 29/5/2022, expressed regret over the decision of a number of dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to stop the commemoration of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, which has already led to divisions within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

According to report published by UOJ portal in March 2022, nearly 15 dioceses of the UOC namely Ternopil, Chernivtsi-Bukovyna, Kamyanets-Podilskyi, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Bilotserkovka, Volyn, Volodymyr-Volynskyi, Mukachevo, Rivne, Voznesensk, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Sumy Eparchies have stopped commemorating Patriarch Kirill in response to the Russian military invasion of Ukraine. Moreover, Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine refrained from commemorating Patriarch Kirill as the head of his Church during the liturgy held at Kiev Caves Lavra on 28/5/2022. Instead, Patriarch Kirill was commemorated as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and not as the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The council also stated that the status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is determined by the mandate of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia dated October 27, 1990. The council urged that the additions and amendments to the Statute on the Administration of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church adopted by the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church need to be studied in the prescribed manner for their compliance with the aforementioned Charter and the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, according to which such additions and amendments must be submitted for approval to the Patriarch Moscow and all Russia.

Source:
OCP News Service