Filaret asks Zelensky to initiate autocephaly of the UOC with patriarchal status

Filaret appealed to Zelensky/Channel 24 collage

Filaret called create an autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with patriarchal status. We are talking about the unification of “three branches of Ukrainian Orthodoxy”.

With a corresponding initiative, Filaret turned to Volodymyr Zelensky. The Patriarch's appeal was published on June 21, although in early June Filaret had already voiced a similar proposal.

Filaret once again called for the “unification” of the churches

Filaret addressed the President of Ukraine with a request.

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I ask you to initiate unification processes in Ukrainian Orthodoxy on the part of the Ukrainian state and support the holding of the All-Ukrainian Local Orthodox Council, which would lead all Orthodox Christians in our country to unity and complete independence from other religious centers – would proclaim the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with patriarchal status, – urged Filaret.

According to the patriarch, this will allow uniting all thousand-year-old Ukrainian Orthodoxy into the only local Ukrainian Church.

Filaret also once again called on the heads of the “three Ukrainian Orthodox churches”:

meet to discuss this issue;

and after that, create a common organizing committee for the preparation of the All-Ukrainian Orthodox Local Council;

and also delegate their representatives to work.

By “three churches” Filaret means:

• Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate;
• Orthodox Church of Ukraine under the care of the Patriarch of Constantinople;
• a also the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, which has already been liquidated.

Although it is worth remembering that in 2019 the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate was liquidated, and Filaret himself became an honorary patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. However, the patriarch himself repeatedly tried to challenge this decision in the courts and cancel the termination of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate.

What preceded this

• On June 3, 2022, Filaret has already called for a unifying council of “three branches of Ukrainian Orthodoxy” – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, which has already been liquidated.
• Then the press services of the churches did not comment on Filaret's proposal . Also, they did not comment on the situation of the appeals of the heads of the churches Epiphanius and Onufry.
• It is worth remembering that in February 2022 the synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine defrocked the “appointees” of Filaret, and also forbade the ex-primate of the UOC-KP Filaret to ordination.
• This decision was made due to the violation of the canonical order by Bishop Philaret and his followers. In particular, since 2019, Filaret has been forbidden to convene and lead meetings to resolve issues of church administration, to ordination to any priesthood.
• Honorary Patriarch Filaret was played by some pro-Russian forces. However, he explained that he did not think he was aware of this.