Patriarch Emeritus Filaret finally sent invitation to OCU Primate

Patriarch Emeritus Filaret invited Metropolitan Epifaniy to remember Hieromartyr Makarios on May 14. An invitation to come to a joint prayer was printed on the letterhead of the non-existent Kyivan Patriarchate.

“I learnt from the media that you expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that I did not invite you to pay tribute to the memory of Hieromartyr Makarios, the Metropolitan of Kyiv,” Patriarch Emeritus Filaret writes on his Facebook page.

Patriarch Emeritus Filaret of the OCU explained why he did not send the invitation earlier.

"The reason is that after the election of you as the Primate of the UOC, you have never celebrated the Divine Liturgy with me – throughout five months. I had an idea, may be it was erroneous, that you think it is a humiliation for you to concelebrate with Patriarch Filaret? In addition, as far as I know, you are planning to celebrate the liturgy either in the city of Dnipro, or in Mariupol, and gather the priests of our Church there, in contrast to the celebration in Kyiv, at St Volodymyr Cathedral, where the holy relics of Hieromartyr Makarios rest,” he stated.

“Therefore, as you have expressed with your dissatisfaction the desire to take part in the celebration of the patron saint of our Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Hieromartyr Makarios, Metropolitan of Kyiv, I am happy to invite Your Beatitude to the festivities dedicated to St. Makarias at the Patriarchal Cathedral on May 14, 2019, where our hierarchs meet annually to reaffirm our unity and strengthen our Church,” added Patriarch Emeritus Filaret.

As was reported earlier, Patriarch Emeritus Filaret has recently sent an invitation to OCU bishops on behalf of the liquidated UOC-KP. Patriarch Emeritus Filaret also claims that the Kyiv Patriarchate still exists. A number of experts believe that Patriarch Emeritus Filaret is going to convene the Council to amend the Charter of the OCU in order to proclaim the Patriarchate, and to become the Patriarch.