Kiev, December 26, 2022
His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, the Chancellor of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, published his annual report on the affairs of the Church.
According to Met. Anthony, the most important events of the preceding year were the Church’s Local Council in late May, at which it strengthened its independence from the Moscow Patriarchate, the 1,034th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’, and the 30th anniversary of the revival of the Kiev Theological Academy.
The Holy Synod of the UOC established an annual day of prayer for orphans on September 30. On February 28, the Synod condemned the armed aggression against Ukraine and called on His Holiness Patriarch Kirill to speak out against the war. The hierarchs also appealed to the Russian and Ukrainian presidents to do everything possible to end the war. The Synod has also expressed its concern about the many cases of incitement of religious enmity within Ukraine, including the recent wave of monastery and church searches.
The Synod also added the primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric, His Eminence Metropolitan Stefan of Ohrid, to the diptychs of the UOC, and decided to resume Chrism-making in Kiev.
In 2022, 4 bishops retired and another 8 were consecrated. Two new monasteries were founded—one for men and one for women.
Several new feasts were established: the Synaxis of the Saints of Cherkasy Saints (Sunday before the feast of the Holy Protection), Cossack Father’s Saturday, in honor of deceased Cossacks and soldiers who laid down their lives for the Orthodox faith (Saturday before the Synaxis of Cherkasy Saints), St. Avvakum of Cherkas (October 25/November 7), and Presbysters Stefan (Kostogryza) and Dmitry (Kiranov) were added to the Synaxis of the Saints of Kherson.
Additionally, 13 liturgical texts were approved, including akathists, prayers for pregnancy, and more.
In response to the refugee crisis, the UOC actively began opening parishes throughout Europe. There are now 32 UOC communities in 11 Western European countries.
Within Ukraine, there were 129 church raids, 84 cases of forced parish re-registration, with 93 more underway, and 74 decisions on banning the UOC in various localities throughout Ukraine. 31 parishes voluntarily transferred to the schismatics together with their priests, and 13 transferred without their priests.
Due to the war in Ukraine, 7 UOC clerics have been killed, 12 injured, and 2 priests are considered missing.
75 churches and chapels have been destroyed, including 14 on the territory of monasteries. 300 have been damaged, including 17 at monasteries. 8 monasteries, all in the Donetsk Diocese have been destroyed, and another 7 have been damaged.
There have been 4 bills submitted to the Verkhovna Rada, all aimed directly against the canonical UOC.
The Church has stood by the Ukrainian people throughout the time of the war. Prayers for peace have been offered in all churches and monasteries of the UOC, and many have opened up as bomb shelters and housing for displaced persons. More than 500,000 displaced persons have received housing and evacuations assistance.
The Church has provide 3,500 tons of humanitarian aid, 25 million hryvnia ($677,000 of financial aid),and 550,000 lunches.
The Church has also provided 180 tons of humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian armed forces and 30 million hryvnia ($813,000) for supplies, medicines, and more for the armed forces.
Met. Anthony’s report concludes with basic statistics. The UOC currently has 12,148 churches (233 less than last year), 262 monasteries (+2), 4,620 monastics (-10), 12,551 clerics (+38), and 18 theological institutions (no change) with 1,154 full-time students (-74).
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