Kiev, October 28, 2020
Photo: news.church.ua
An international academic conference was held at the Kiev Theological Academy at the Holy Dormition-Kiev Caves Lavra yesterday, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the granting of the Gramota of Independence and Autonomy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by His Holiness Patriarch Alexiy II of Moscow and All Russia.
To open the conference, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, the Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, read out an address from His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. The full text is published on the site of the UOC.
The gramota from Pat. Alexiy was “a prerequisite for the full fulfillment of our Church’s saving mission in an independent Ukrainian state,” His Beatitude writes.
The 30 years since the granting of the gramota have been marked by both achievements and unfortunate losses. “It was a time of great spiritual rebirth,” His Beatitude writes, with thousands of churches and monasteries being restored, and numerous educational institutions and charitable organizations being created from scratch. The Church has also been active in radio, television, and internet ministries.
But at the same time, the development of Orthodoxy in an independent Ukraine was also “marked by the severe wound of the Church schism,” forcing the UOC to constantly defend the canonical principles of the Church structure in polemics with those who have moved away from Church unity.
And, unfortunately, the schism has only worsened in recent years, as the Church has had to face the violent seizure of its churches and the “openly discriminatory policies of the state authorities.”
“The Church conflict in Ukraine has become one of the central problems of the entire world Orthodoxy. The actions of the Patriarch of Constantinople in relation to Ukraine only gave rise to new disputes and divisions between the Local Orthodox Churches,” Met. Onuphry writes.
The UOC bears a huge responsibility, His Beatitude writes:
The future of Orthodoxy in Ukraine depends on our stability in faith, on our loyalty to the Church, to its teaching and canonical tradition. In spite of all adversity, we must bear witness both by our word and by our life to Christ, to love and forgiveness, to holiness and moral purity, and we must carry the word of God to our people. We must offer a sincere prayer to God for our Church and for our country.
The Metropolitan thus calls on all students of theological schools to remember that that future of the UOC depends on them, and above all to remember that “Christ is our life. Everything else is secondary.”
“A pastor of the Church is one who has given his life to Christ and is ready to follow Christ to Calvary. Pastoral service is self-sacrifice. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10: 11). We must always be ready for sacrificial service,” the Ukrainian primate exhorted in conclusion.
