TRANSFER OF LAVRAS AND CHURCHES FROM UPTsMP TO UNITED LOCAL CHURCH WILL BE ONLY VOLUNTARY—PATRIARCH FILARET
The primate of the UPTs of the Kiev patriarchate, Filaret, on 26 October at a press conference, "Ukrainian church on the path to confirming autocephaly," in Kiev declared that the transfer of Ukrainian lavras into the united local Orthodox church from under the jurisdiction of the Moscow patriarchate may be voluntary only, Religiia v Ukraine reports, citing Gordunoa.com and Ukrinform.
Filaret said that the decision about the transfer of the lavras may be made only by their clergy. At the same time, he emphasized that the lavras on the territory of Ukraine are Ukrainian shrines.
"The transfer to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Russian Orthodox Church may be only voluntary. . . . I believe that sooner or later the lavras will move into the Ukrainian church. Without any violence. How much time is needed for this? I do not know. . . . The time will come when they want to move into the Ukrainian church and they will move voluntarily, without any violence. And for now we will be patient," the patriarch of the UPTsKP emphasized.
There are three lavras in Ukraine: the Kiev caves lavra, the Pochaev lavra in Ternopol oblast, and the Sviatogorsk lavra in Donetsk. They all are now under the jurisdiction of the UPTs of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The local church should retain in its title the words "Ukrainian Orthodox Church" and "Kiev Patriarchate." "The official name will be the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The second name will be the Kiev Patriarchate," Filaret noted. (tr. by PDS, posted 29 October 2018)
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