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Russian Church confident most Ukrainian priests will stay in canonical church

On October 11, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople decided to proceed with granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church

MOSCOW, October 22. /TASS/. The overwhelming majority of the clergy in the canonical Ukrainian Church will remain in it despite the decisions by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on Ukraine, Spokesman for Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Priest Alexander Volkov, told reporters on Monday.

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"I am certain that the vast majority of the clergy in the Ukrainian Church supported and will support their own church, which is the Mother Church for them and where they were born spiritually," he said.

He noted though that there could be some isolated instances of priests’ transition to non-canonical churches. "Of course, that will give rise to deep regret and sorrow. However, I strongly believe that the overwhelming majority of the clergy will remain faithful to the canonical Orthodox Church. We know that from the clergy in Ukraine," Father Alexander added.

Ukraine’s church crisis

On October 11, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople decided to proceed with granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church. It revoked the 1686 decision on transferring the Kiev Metropolitanate under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and reinstated the heads of two non-canonical churches in Ukraine, Filaret of the Kiev Patriarchate and Makariy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church, to their hierarchical and priestly ranks. In addition, it announced plans to bring back the Kiev Metropolitanate under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

On October 15, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church said in response to that move that full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople was no longer possible.

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