UOC-MP refuses to participate in creation of autocephalous church in Ukraine

This is stated in the decision of the UOC-MP's Council of Bishops of November 13.

"The Council of Bishops states that the process of granting the so-called tomos of autocephaly is artificial, forced from outside, does not reflect the church's internal demand, will not bring real church unity and will only aggravate the split and conflicts among the people of Ukraine. In such conditions, we deem it possible for the bishops, clergy and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to join these processes," reads the decision.

On October 11, the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to grant a tomos (ordinance) of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Kyiv now has to convene an assembly involving the bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, who turned to the Ecumenical Patriarch with the request to grant the tomos. The assembly will carry out church unification, form a single local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and elect its primate. After that, the head of the single local autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church will receive the tomos as a document (letter).

President Petro Poroshenko and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed an agreement on cooperation between Ukraine and the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul on November 3.

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