Ukrainian schismatics who petitioned Constantinople for recognition now building “ecumenical church” with Ukrainian Uniates

Poltava, Ukraine, May 22, 2018

Photo: The Union of Orthodox Journalists Photo: The Union of Orthodox Journalists
    

The foundation stone for a new “ecumenical church,” to be used by both the schismatic “Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church” (UAOC) and the heretical Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) was laid in Poltava on Saturday, reports The Union of Orthodox Journalists.

The UAOC is one of two main schismatic bodies operating in Ukraine, which joined in President Petro Poroshenko’s appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to grant a tomos of autocephaly to a united autocephalous Ukrainian Church. The schismatic “Kiev Patriarchate” also supported the president’s initiative, though not a single hierarch of the canonical Ukrainian Church of the Moscow Patriarchate supported the move.

The Ukrainian schismatic confessions and the call for a new Ukrainian Church exist as manifestations of Ukrainian nationalism, looking for separation from the Russian Orthodox Church. To pray with or celebrate services along with non-Orthodox bodies is strictly forbidden by Orthodox canon law.

The service of consecrating and laying the stone was celebrated by UGCC head Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk. The future temple will be named for St. George the Victorious.

The Uniate head noted that the construction of the new church stands as a symbol of the hoped-for unification of, not Orthodox churches, but Ukrainian churches.

“We are experiencing today not just the moment of the sealing of another of God’s churches, we today feel that the anointed of God, our Savior Christ, manifests in this stone a moment of our unity, because we are laying, perhaps, the first church in Ukraine of the united Kievan Church, which today, unfortunately, is divided and exists in various confessions,” Shevchuk stated.

All of the Orthodox Churches throughout the world support the canonical Church under His Eminence Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. Most recently, the Serbian, Russian, and Polish Holy Synods have expressed this support, emphasizing the importance of true Orthodox unity in Christ.

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5/22/2018

See also
Serbian, Russian, Polish Orthodox Churches express support for canonical Ukrainian Church Serbian, Russian, Polish Orthodox Churches express support for canonical Ukrainian Church Serbian, Russian, Polish Orthodox Churches express support for canonical Ukrainian Church Serbian, Russian, Polish Orthodox Churches express support for canonical Ukrainian Church
In response to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s recent appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to grant autocephaly to a united Ukrainian Church, to be made up of the nation’s currently-existing two schismatic bodies, several Local Autocephalous Orthodox Churches around the world have begun expressing their support for the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church that is headed by His Eminence Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, and which did not back the president’s appeal, as did the schismatic bodies and the nation’s parliament. Ecumenical Patriarchate postpones consideration of Ukrainian autocephaly issue Ecumenical Patriarchate postpones consideration of Ukrainian autocephaly issue Ecumenical Patriarchate postpones consideration of Ukrainian autocephaly issue Ecumenical Patriarchate postpones consideration of Ukrainian autocephaly issue
The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has postponed its consideration of the question of granting autocephaly to a united Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Schismatic “Patriarch” Philaret declares he will be head of autocephalous Ukrainian Church, will take Kiev and Pochaev Lavras into his “church” Schismatic “Patriarch” Philaret declares he will be head of autocephalous Ukrainian Church, will take Kiev and Pochaev Lavras into his “church” Schismatic “Patriarch” Philaret declares he will be head of autocephalous Ukrainian Church, will take Kiev and Pochaev Lavras into his “church” Schismatic “Patriarch” Philaret declares he will be head of autocephalous Ukrainian Church, will take Kiev and Pochaev Lavras into his “church”
The head of the schismatic “Kiev Patriarchate,” “Patriarch” Philaret Denisenko has declared that he will be the head of the united autocephalous Ukrainian Church that he believes the Ecumenical Patriarch will grant, and that the Kiev Caves and Pochaev Lavras will be taken from the already-existing canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and be given by the state to his “church.”

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