Warsaw, December 17, 2020
His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland. Photo: Romfea.gr
The Polish Church’s stance towards the Ukrainian Church crisis has not changed, and the hierarchs continue to support His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, the Church Chancellery reports.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church recently published an appeal from the Polish Orthodox Church to Met. Onuphry regarding the painful issues of unity currently plaguing the Church. OrthoChristian published the letter in English translation yesterday.
Many found the appeal to be ambiguous, lending itself to the possible interpretation that the Polish Church’s stance on the Ukrainian issue has changed or is changing, as the Polish Church’s previous statements always clearly expressed support for Met. Onuphry and the canonical Ukrainian Church and a rejection of Epiphany Dumenko and the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
For example, in January 2019, His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw specifically rejected Patriarch Bartholomew's request that he recognize the new Ukrainian structure and commemorate its primate, “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko, at the Divine Liturgy, and in October 2019, the Polish Bishops’ Council declared that admitting schismatics into the Church violates Eucharistic unity.
In their latest appeal, the hierarchs emphasize that the current division in Orthodoxy hinders the Church’s evangelical mission of bringing the truth of Christ to all the world. “Purely human weaknesses and our ambitions in this regard should have no place among us,” they write.
“Let us not violate the will and institutions of our ancestors! Let us unite around the Divine Liturgy and not dissipate our spiritual strength on matters of secondary importance to our salvation!” they plead.
Many wondered, if the Polish Church supports Met. Onuphry and the UOC, then why was this letter sent to Met. Onuphry? Were the Polish hierarchs implicating him in the tragic division that has arisen in the Church?
However, the Chancellery of the Polish Orthodox Church has offered a clarification of the meaning of its appeal. Importantly, the appeal was not sent to Met. Onuphry alone, but to all Orthodox primates.
Additionally, the Polish hierarchs have in no way changed their stance concerning the Ukrainian Church crisis, and “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko remains for them an unordained layman.
The Chancellery’s message was published by the RIA-Novosti journalist Sergei Stephanov:
The appeal of the Polish Orthodox Church from November 30, 2020, was sent to all the primates of the Local Churches, including Metropolitan Onuphry, whom we highly appreciate and pray for.
In their appeal, the hierarchs of our Church give special attention to the modern division of Orthodoxy in the sense of liturgical communion. Its cessation is painful for the faithful, especially today, when satan is battling against Holy Communion.
The attitude of the Polish Church regarding Ukraine has not changed at all. Evil remains evil, which schism is. The so-called “Metropolitan” Epiphany remains a layman.
There are not two ecclesiologies in Orthodoxy—there is one, by which all are bound. The comments that have been made regarding the aforementioned appeal largely indicate the loss of spiritual sensitivity in those making them, which is painful for the Polish Orthodox Church.
Stephanov notes that he cannot agree about the “loss of spiritual sensitivity,” as any ambiguous texts will always give rise to competing interpretations, but the important point is that the Polish Church remains committed to the canonical norms of holy Orthodoxy and to Christ in the context of the Ukrainian crisis.
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