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Ukrainian Orthodox Church vows not to join conferences initiated by illegitimate church

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church will not take part in the so-called unification council initiated by the Kiev Patriarchate

© Igor Yashkin/TASS

KIEV, October 12. /TASS/. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) will not take part in the so-called unification council initiated by the Kiev Patriarchate, which has not been recognized by any local churches, Chairman of the UOC Synodal Information and Education Department Archbishop Clement (Vecheria) told TASS on Friday.

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"The Kiev Patriarchate, which has initiated this meeting, is not a legitimate church organization recognized by all local churches. It is still not even a church after yesterday’s statement made by the Patriarchate of Constantinople," he said, adding, "The Patriarchate of Constantinople itself has not indicated anywhere that there is a need for such an event."

On Thursday, a spokesman for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople said that its Holy and Sacred Synod had decided to reinstate the heads of two non-canonical churches in Ukraine, Filaret of the Kiev Patriarchate and Makariy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 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 and launch the process for granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church.

In light of that, the Kiev Patriarchate has urged the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to lay the groundwork for the unification council.

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