Proposals to restore Eucharistic unity with Ecumenical Patriarchate not supported at UOC meeting

[Not David]

Proposals to restore Eucharistic unity with Ecumenical Patriarchate not supported at UOC meeting | Orthodox Times (en)

by Dr. Serhii Shumylo* On 27 May 2025, the UOC (MP) commemorated the third anniversary of the "Feofaniyevsky" Council. Most of the bishops of the UOC (MP) gathered at the residence of Metropolitan Onufriy in the village of Feofaniya near Kyiv. Many had hoped that at least on this occasion…

orthodoxtimes.com

"There were expectations that Eucharistic communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate would finally be restored and formal appeals would be sent to the Primates of the Local Churches for recognition the full autocephaly of the UOC. Many were waiting for this and hoping for it… But, once again, all hopes were in vain. Much to Moscow’s satisfaction. During the bishops’ meeting on 27 May, some bishops proposed resuming dialogue and Eucharistic unity with the Ecumenical Patriarchate. A proposal was also made to issue an official appeal to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the heads of other Local Churches, seeking recognition of the UOC’s autocephaly. These proposals, however, were not supported. Everything was limited to the reading of Metropolitan Onufriy’s address marking the anniversary of the “Feofaniyevsky” Council and a very brief exchange of views among the bishops. The tone was set by Metropolitan Theodosius Snegirev of Cherkasy, who voiced a position of allegiance to the ROC MP on behalf of a “group of bishops and clergy” of the UOC. There were some bishops who spoke in favour of full autocephaly of the UOC, but the majority simply remained silent as has often been the case."

 

[E.C.]

And why should it be expected that the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church self-declare autocephaly? That is not the canonical order of things because autocephaly is granted and recognized; not simply declared. Even Constantinople, which should know better, was granted autocephaly and didn't just declare it.

Besides, the lists of crimes committed by the fascist and uncanonical "Orthodox Church in Ukraine" against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church are far too numerous. They have forcibly seized churches then vandalized, destroyed, and, defaced them. The OCU has committed atrocities against people and churches not seen since Communist times. They have forced a change in the Liturgical Calendar inspired by geopolitics. They have banned the celebration of memorial days like Radonitsa simply because they think it is a strictly Russian practice. They have not once agreed to stop their campaign of violence. They have shown as much good will to the canonical Church as Hitler showed towards Europe's Jewish population: zero. And they have shown only threats and given into being controlled by the government.

And you think someone would want to affiliate with these people just because Patriarch Bartholomew was duped and bribed by the US State Department?

 

[Not David]

And why should it be expected that the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church self-declare autocephaly? That is not the canonical order of things because autocephaly is granted and recognized; not simply declared. Even Constantinople, which should know better, was granted autocephaly and didn't just declare it.

Besides, the lists of crimes committed by the fascist and uncanonical "Orthodox Church in Ukraine" against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church are far too numerous. They have forcibly seized churches then vandalized, destroyed, and, defaced them. The OCU has committed atrocities against people and churches not seen since Communist times. They have forced a change in the Liturgical Calendar inspired by geopolitics. They have banned the celebration of memorial days like Radonitsa simply because they think it is a strictly Russian practice. They have not once agreed to stop their campaign of violence. They have shown as much good will to the canonical Church as Hitler showed towards Europe's Jewish population: zero. And they have shown only threats and given into being controlled by the government.

And you think someone would want to affiliate with these people just because Patriarch Bartholomew was duped and bribed by the US State Department?

Because Russia destroys their churches and kill their people? In the meantime, Russian priests who protest the war are silenced and statues of Stalin are being elevated.

It has nothing to do with the OCU so I don't know why you mention them here.

 

[rusmeister]

Because Russia destroys their churches and kill their people? In the meantime, Russian priests who protest the war are silenced and statues of Stalin are being elevated.

It has nothing to do with the OCU so I don't know why you mention them here.

Hi! I think you are right about the evils being done in Russia.

But there is an awful lot of uncanonical stuff going on right now, and canonicity ought to be of some concern to us. Without it, we fall away from the Body of Christ and become a bunch of Protestants with differing opinions. What the EP did was not canonical. Fr Alexei Uminsky and others simply fleeing Russia and joining the EP on their own authority is not canonical and the UOC declaring independence from Moscow was not canonical, even though I have great sympathy with those actions. And EC is right that autocephaly is not unilaterally declared, it is granted and recognized, and even that has to be done canonically. The EP created the situation that has enabled the government to persecute the UOC in the first place, which until a few years ago, was the only recognized Orthodox Church in the Ukraine.

It is not hard to understand the position of the clergy in the UOC. They are largely Ukrainian, and the war has pitted their national allegiance against their spiritual allegiance - which shouldn’t be an issue since Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, but BOTH Russian and Ukrainian leaders have been using a Church - Russia its own national Church, and Ukraine got the help of temporal powers and principalities to create a national “Church“ of their own, to further their worldly agendas that the Church ought NOT to be involved in. EC mentions the evils of the Ukrainian government and its OCU, you mention the Russian ones - and you are both right. It would be good if you each admitted that the other is right about those evils as well.

 

[Not David]

Hi! I think you are right about the evils being done in Russia.

But there is an awful lot of uncanonical stuff going on right now, and canonicity ought to be of some concern to us. Without it, we fall away from the Body of Christ and become a bunch of Protestants with differing opinions. What the EP did was not canonical. Fr Alexei Uminsky and others simply fleeing Russia and joining the EP on their own authority is not canonical and the UOC declaring independence from Moscow was not canonical, even though I have great sympathy with those actions. And EC is right that autocephaly is not unilaterally declared, it is granted and recognized, and even that has to be done canonically. The EP created the situation that has enabled the government to persecute the UOC in the first place, which until a few years ago, was the only recognized Orthodox Church in the Ukraine.

It is not hard to understand the position of the clergy in the UOC. They are largely Ukrainian, and the war has pitted their national allegiance against their spiritual allegiance - which shouldn’t be an issue since Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, but BOTH Russian and Ukrainian leaders have been using a Church - Russia its own national Church, and Ukraine got the help of temporal powers and principalities to create a national “Church“ of their own, to further their worldly agendas that the Church ought NOT to be involved in. EC mentions the evils of the Ukrainian government and its OCU, you mention the Russian ones - and you are both right. It would be good if you each admitted that the other is right about those evils as well.

The canonical part is a bit more complicated. Even the Russia Church was de facto independent after Constantinople was flirting with Uniatism and the Fall of the Constantinople. It wasn't until way latter than they became officially autocephalous.

I don't support everything the OCU did, and I am no fan of Zelensky either.

 

[rusmeister]

The canonical part is a bit more complicated. Even the Russia Church was de facto independent after Constantinople was flirting with Uniatism and the Fall of the Constantinople. It wasn't until way latter than they became officially autocephalous.

I don't support everything the OCU did, and I am no fan of Zelensky either.

I do agree that the canonical part is complicated. I think the primary issue is acceptance by consensus over time. However, the creation of a parallel church that was definitely schismatic in the same territory as a canonical church that already exists is very unlikely to ever get that consensus. I find it surprising that even the four Churches that have accepted it did so, because any such acceptance obviously disdains basic canonicity and those issues, making the decision probably political. In any event, it certainly does not approach a consensus.

 

[Platina]

Shumilo gives no evidence that any such proposals were raised.

 

[Dorothea]

And why should it be expected that the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church self-declare autocephaly? That is not the canonical order of things because autocephaly is granted and recognized; not simply declared. Even Constantinople, which should know better, was granted autocephaly and didn't just declare it.

Besides, the lists of crimes committed by the fascist and uncanonical "Orthodox Church in Ukraine" against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church are far too numerous. They have forcibly seized churches then vandalized, destroyed, and, defaced them. The OCU has committed atrocities against people and churches not seen since Communist times. They have forced a change in the Liturgical Calendar inspired by geopolitics. They have banned the celebration of memorial days like Radonitsa simply because they think it is a strictly Russian practice. They have not once agreed to stop their campaign of violence. They have shown as much good will to the canonical Church as Hitler showed towards Europe's Jewish population: zero. And they have shown only threats and given into being controlled by the government.

And you think someone would want to affiliate with these people just because Patriarch Bartholomew was duped and bribed by the US State Department?

Exactly.