UOC-MP Synod set a course for rapprochement with Moscow - UOC KP ARCHBISHOP

Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya) of Chernihiv and Nizhyn summarized the results of the Synod of the UOC (MP), which was held in Kyiv. He posted his opinion on Facebook:

“1. There is not a single word about the dialogue with the UOC-KP. Now they are not afraid of Maidan, which might come to Lavra, so the dialogue becomes unnecessary.

2. Kirill was not invited to Ukraine, and even the Day of the Baptism of the Kyivan Rus was not mentioned. Yet, there is time left till the end of July time, so everything is possible.

3. The lawyer of the Kyiv Metropolis Volodymyr Volynets was dismissed; it was him who once rebuffed the attempts of Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk to force the pro-Moscow amendments in the Charter of the UOC through the Commission.

4. Rector of Uzhgorod Academy Archimandrite Victor Bed was dismissed. He is the only priest of the UOC of such rank who was not afraid to publicly speak out against Moscow and in favor of autocephaly.

5.Through the liquidation of the Awards Department Metropolitan Oleksandr (Drabynko) was deprived of the right to participate in the Council of Bishops, as an Auxiliary Bishop without a position in the Synodal Department.

6. Two addresses were adopted, but none of them said a word about one of the main reasons of the current troubles in Ukraine - the undeclared aggressive war that Russia wages on our country.

7. Conclusion: a series of steps in the pro-Moscow direction was made.

It is sad, but predictable, as not only patriarch Kirill, but also the Synod’s Chairman Metropolitan Onufriy believes that Ukrainians and Russians are one people, and in the Donbas there is no aggression of Russia against Ukraine, but Ukrainian troops clash with the militia.

So the Synod members have sufficient grounds to report to the Moscow Patriarchate of the progress achieved. May be Putin will grants orders to someone else?”