IN VINNYTSIA BISHOP SIMEON ANNOUNCES TRANSFER FROM UPTsMP INTO ORTHODOX CHURCH OF UKRAINE
Now the diocese of the metropolitan will be subordinate to the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PTsU) and not the UPTsMP [Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate].
During the Sunday service in the cathedral church in Vinnytsia, Bishop Simeon announced to parishioners his transfer from the UPTsMP to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. This was reported by a spokesman for the diocese, Archdeacon Vladislav Demchenko, Vinbazar.com reports.
Demchenko assured that these changes will not reflect on ordinary parishioners; just a change in leadership in Kiev has simply occurred.
As regards the language for conducting services, it will be the choice of parishioners themselves, either Ukrainian or Church Slavonic.
We recall that Metropolitan Simeon was one of two bishops from the UPTsMP who participated in the unification council. Today the Synod of bishops of the UPTsMP inhibited metropolitans Simeon and Alexander from ministry. (tr. by PDS, posted 17 December 2018)
EMERGENCY SESSION OF SYNOD OF UPTs IN KIEV
Interfax-Religiia, 17 December 2018
An emergency session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church began on Monday in the Kiev caves lavra.
Hierarchs of the canonical UPTs will discuss questions connected with the challenges that now face it, the church press service reports.
As reported, last Saturday the "unification council" occurring in the presence of President Petro Poroshenko established the so-called "united local church" of Ukraine and elected a leader of this structure.
The canonical UPTs refused to recognize the new church. In his turn, Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew back before the council warned the head of the UPTs, Metropolitan Onufrey, that after the election of the head of the new church, he will lose his title of "Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine." (tr. by PDS, posted 17 December 2018)
PRIMATE OF UPTsMP LOSES TITLE "METROPOLITAN OF
KIEV
RISU,
16 December 2018
From the moment of the election of the canonical primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PTsU), the primate of the UPTsMP, Onufrey, loses the title "Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine."
This was declared by PTsU Archbishop Evstraty. He noted that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew warned Metropolitan Onufrey about this in his letter back on the eve of conducting the unification council.
"From the point of view of ecumenical Orthodoxy, the presence of the Moscow patriarchate on the territory of Ukraine does not comport with the canons. From the point of view of state legislation, the Moscow patriarchate will not exist in Ukraine. There are people who will choose this church, but I think gradually their union with the Ukrainian church will occur," Archpriest Evstraty emphasized.
As the RISU [Religious News Service of Ukraine] has already reported, Patriarch Bartholomew wrote a letter to the primate of the UPTsMP, Onufrey, in which he urged him to participate in the creation of the new church. Patriarch Bartholomew also explained to the head of the UPTsMP that he bears the title "Metropolitan of Kiev" illegally.
"After the election of a primate of the Ukrainian church by a body that will consist of clergy and laity, you will not be able ecclesiastically and canonically to bear the title of metropolitan of Kiev, which you are still bearing in violation of the written conditions of official documents of 1686," the ecumenical patriarch's letter says. (tr. by PDS, posted 17 December 2018)
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