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.
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How will we ever attain Orthodox unity?
ReplyDeleteWe 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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