Filaret demands that Bartholomew return the original resolution of UOC KP Council on its liquidation
Filaret demands that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew return the original resolution of the local council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate of December 15, 2018, which decided to liquidate the UOC-KP.
At a press conference that took place in the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Monday, Filaret said that it was the Patriarch of Constantinople who demanded the liquidation of the Kyiv Patriarchate. "We settled for this illegal decision because the Council was not under the regulations of the Church Statute of the Kyiv Patriarchate. But when they saw that we had become dependent, they withdrew their signatures under the decision to liquidate the Kyiv Patriarchate. And now we demand that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew return the original copy of this Council to us," Filaret said.
According to him, since this Council was that of the Kyiv Patriarchate, the original should be kept in the office of the Kyiv Patriarchate, and not in the office of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
"But the Council, which was convened on December 15, but no longer in Warm Sofia, but in St Sofia of Kyiv, was the Council not of the Kyiv Patriarchate, but the one of the Greek Church, which became part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Ecumenical Patriarch has the right to keep those decisions and the original copy of the Council," Filaret added.
As reported, Filaret has repeatedly stated recently that the UOC-KP continues to exist, and that he does not intend to fulfill the three conditions of the Tomos of autocephaly provided by the Ecumenical Patriarchate - the Tomos conditions regarding the transition of foreign parishes of the former UOC-KP to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, refuses to ban the preparation of chrysm, and refuses to resolve internal conflict situations solely in agreement with the Phanar.
On June 20, the meeting held by the honorary Patriarch Filaret that was called by him "the local Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate", canceled the resolution of the Council of Bishops of December 15, 2018, on the liquidation of the UOC-KP. Filaret himself suggested the existence of three Orthodox Churches in Ukraine. At the same time, he noted that if the Orthodox Church under the leadership of Metropolitan Epifaniy would be willing to merge with the UOC-KP, no one will object, and if not, it will exist separately.
The OCU stated that the assembly with the participation of Patriarch Emeritus Filaret can in no way be recognized as a local council, and their decisions are null and void in legal and canonical terms. On June 24, the Holy Synod of the OCU decided that Filaret would remain in the episcopate of the OCU, but would be deprived of the right to govern the Diocese of Kyiv.
However, in December, the OCU Synod decided to create a religious organization for Filaret as part of the OCU in the form of a mission. He also has a lifetime right to worship in St Volodymyr Cathedral in Kyiv. The OCU Council also called on Patriarch Emeritus Filaret and his entourage to reconcile and end their self-isolation.
On January 10, Filaret withdrew his signature under the resolution of the Local Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate of December 15, 2018, which decided to liquidate the UOC-KP.
Later, he explained that he withdrew his signature under the resolution of the Local Council of the UOC-Kyiv Patriarchate for the differences between the Tomos that Ukraine received and a similar document that was issued to other countries. "They are really independent Churches, but we are a dependent Church and this dependence is recorded in this Tomos... The activity of our Church is limited to the territory of Ukraine. We have no right beyond it," Filaret said.
