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12 Kyivan clergymen, intellectuals of the UOC MP join OCU

07.02.2019, 09:55
The website of the Kyiv Metropolis of the UOC Moscow Patriarchate posted a list of clergymen who went "into a split," that is, to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which in January 2019 received autocephaly from the Church of Constantinople. From the list, it follows that the intellectual elite, which for a long time had been involved in the formation of church politics and education, left the UOC MP, reports Religion in Ukraine.

The website of the Kyiv Metropolis of the UOC Moscow Patriarchate posted a list of clergymen who went "into a split," that is, to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which in January 2019 received autocephaly from the Church of Constantinople. From the list, it follows that the intellectual elite, which for a long time had been involved in the formation of church politics and education, left the UOC MP, reports Religion in Ukraine.

"Twelve clerics of the Kyiv diocese of the UOC are banned from service for secession into schism,” says the website of the Metropolis. These clerics of the UOC MP Metropolis have been forbidden not only to serve, but even to partake in communion.

The list includes:

- Archpriest Peter Zuev, rector of the Church of the Holy Great Martyress Catherine, in Podil district of Kyiv;

- Archpriest Ihor Savchenko, full-time priest of St Cyril Men’s Monastery of Kyiv,

- Archpriest Mykolai Pavlenko, full-time priest of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist at Zvirynetsky cemetery in Kyiv,

- Archpriest George Kovalenko, rector of the religious community of the Martyresses Vira, Nadiya, Liubov and their mother Sofia of Kyiv,

- Archpriest Oleh Sknar, rector of the Holy Protection Church of the Main Military Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in Kyiv,

- Serhiy Berezhnoy, rector of the religious community in honor of the Synaxis of the Kyiv Saints in Obolon district of Kyiv,

- group of clergymen of the Stavropihiya Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Holosiyivo district of Kyiv: Archpriest Andriy Dudchenko, Mykolay Tyshkun, Taras Kozko, Proto-deacon Rostislav Vorobyy, John Gichun, Savva Zarytsky.

Apparently, the afore-mentioned clergy include priests, who are well-known in Ukraine, in particular, Archpriest George Kovalenko, who for a long time chaired the Synodal Information and Educational Department of the UOC-MP, set up and headed the Main Editorial Board of Television Programs of the UOC MP, was a spokesman for the UOC-MP Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) and was editor-in-chief of the official websites of the UOC MP; archpriest Andriy Dudchenko was the editor-in-chief of the site Orthodoxy in Ukraine of the UOC MP in 2006-2008, editor-in-chief of the program "Chronicles: Connection of Times" on the Hlas TV-Channel in 2009-2010, the founder of the famous missionary and the theological and educational portal Kyivan Rus kiev-orthodox.org; Archpriest Oleh Sknar is the most famous military chaplain of the UOC MP, associate professor of the Department of Biblical Studies of the Kyiv Theological Academy of the UOC MP, Candidate of Theology; Archpriest Peter Zuev who had previously chaired the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Kyiv diocese of the UOC MP and -- during the tenure of Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) -- was a member of the Synodal Commission of the UOC MP for the dialogue with the UAOC and the working group responsible for preparation of the dialogue with representatives of the UOC Kyiv Patriarchate.

It follows from the list that the intellectual elite, which for a long time was involved in the formation of church politics and education, and also played a significant role in creating a positive public opinion of the UOC MP, left the UOC MP.

With the coming to power of Metropolitan Onufriy in 2014, Metropolitan Volodymyr's previous course of openness to society and dialogue was curtailed, and the aforementioned ministers were pushed to the background.

Now they will continue their ministry in the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.