FAMOUS UPTsMP BISHOP DECLARES HIMSELF CLERIC OF CONSTANTINOPLE PATRIARCHATE
Interfax-Religiia, 16 October 2018
A famous hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UPTsMP), a former secretary of the now deceased Metropolitan of Kiev Vladimir, Metropolitan Alexander Drabinko, announced that he himself is a cleric of the patriarchate of Constantinople.
"At the last session, the patriarchate of Constantinople abolished the transfer of the Kiev metropolia to the Moscow patriarchate. Since then, we can consider that the territory of Ukraine is the territory of the restored metropolia of the patriarchate of Constantinople. Actually, from that moment (after such a decision was made) we are, as of today, clerics of the Constantinople church," Metropolitan of Pereiaslav-Khmelnitsky and Vishnevoe Alexander declared in an interview with the internet channel Gromadskoe Televidenie.
On 11 October, the Synod in Istanbul cancelled the judicial force of its ukase of 1686 regarding the transfer of the Kiev metropolia to Moscow, announced the creation of its annex in Kiev, and rehabilitated the leaders of the self-proclaimed Orthodox churches in Ukraine. The UPTsMP did not recognize these decisions, and the Moscow patriarchate itself did not recognize them and in response at its session on 15 October announced the complete break in relations with the Constantinople church. (tr. by PDS, posted 16 October 2018)
UPTs METROPOLITAN PLANS TO CONSIDER QUESTION OF PARTICIPATION IN UNIFIED CHURCH
Metropolitan of Pereiaslav-Khmelnitsky and Vishnevoe of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UPTs) and rector of the cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior, Alexander Drabinko, declared that his flock and he personally intend to make a decision, at a parish conference, regarding possible participation in the unified church in Ukraine.
Earlier Ukrainian news media reported that Drabinko had declared himself to be a cleric of the patriarchate of Constantinople.
"I am the rector of the cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior. Yesterday I reported to the parish of our church, the flock, news . . . about what happened in Constantinople, which is being discussed now. . . . Every one of us must make a responsible decision about how to assess the actions that have occurred. What will I do and how will I do it. We will make a decision together, at a parish conference. Each will be able to express his opinion. And when the joint opinion of our parish has been formed, then my voice will be the last," Drabinko stated yesterday on the broadcast "Nowadays" on air of the Gromadske television channel (Public TV).
He also confirmed that he thinks after the decision of Constantinople that Orthodox in Ukraine are clerics of the church of Constantinople. Ukrainian news media reported this earlier, while in the UPTs it was noted that they had not received from him a statement about transfer to the Constantinople Orthodox Church.
"We can now consider that the metropolia of the patriarchate of Constantinople has been restored on the territory of Ukraine. And apparently from that moment, when the document was signed, as of today we are clerics of the Constantinople church," he added.
At the same time, the Synod of the Constantinople church has still not made a decision about granting autocephaly, but has only declared the start of such a procedure.
Because of the decision of Constantinople to start the grant of autocephaly to the uncanonical church in Ukraine, which the RPTs called a schism, the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on Monday announced a break in fellowship with the patriarchate of Constantinople throughout the canonical territory of the RPTs, including Ukraine and Belorussia. The synod of the RPTs saw politics in the cancellation of Constantinople's action of 1686 transferring the Kiev metropolia to the jurisdiction of the Moscow patriarchate and called it canonically invalid.
The head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan Ilarion, declared that Constantinople has lost the right to call itself the coordinating center of Orthodoxy. At the same time, the RPTs is hoping that Constantinople will change its decision to give autocephaly to the Ukrainian church, and until that happens it will be in schism. (tr. by PDS, posted 16 October 2018)
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