Thursday, April 8, 2010

Patriarch Filaret of Ukraine Says Russia Bars Creation of United Ukrainian Church

Patriarch Filaret of Kyiv and All Ukraine, who is head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate) said at a news conference today (April 8, 2010) that the position of Russia is obstructing creation of a unified Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Filaret said the Russian Orthodox Church is not interested in creation of a unified Ukrainian Orthodox Church, because it is afraid of losing a significant number of parishioners and a significant reduction of its influence and the power of Russia.

"As you know, Russia sees a new empire in its sleep, a new state with Moscow at its head," he said. Patriarch Filaret believes that Russia can secure inclusion of Ukraine in such a state only by exerting influence through the church, according to the International Orthodox Christian News website.

The Orthodox Church in Ukraine is divided into three major denominations: The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate; the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate; and the Ukrainian Autocephalous (self-headed) Orthodox Church. Additionally, there is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church which comes under the purview of the Pope.

2 comments:

  1. How will we ever attain Orthodox unity?

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  2. We will attain Orthodox unity when all of the ethnic divisions of Orthodoxy put Christ before ethnicity in order to establish a harmonious Orthodox Christian Church.

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