Bucharest, October 28, 2024
Photo: podul.ro
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church has announced its intentions to move ahead with its “Romanian Orthodox Church in Ukraine” project despite legal setbacks.
The structure was initially established by Synodal decision on February 29, but in August it was reported that the Ukrainian State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience refuses to legally register the structure, because the state backs the so-called “Orthodox Church in Ukraine,” which is recognized by schismatic by the majority of the Orthodox world.
At its session on October 25, according to the Basilica News Agency, the Romanian Synod stated its disappointment at the decision and also its intention to move ahead:
With regret, the Synod acknowledged the unjustified postponement by Ukrainian authorities of legal recognition for the “Romanian Orthodox Church in Ukraine” religious association despite its compliance with all applicable Ukrainian laws. The Synod approved continued efforts with central authorities in Romania and Ukraine to resolve this legitimate request.
There are well over 100 Romanian-language and tradition parishes in western Ukraine. In late August, Ukrainian authorities seized one of these Romanian churches for the first time, which greatly exacerbated the situation and led to increasing calls from Romanian organizations for the Romanian parishes to be transferred to the jurisdiction of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
***
At its session on February 29, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church made the controversial decision to establish its own structure in Ukraine. The bishops have been concerned about the fate of the more than 100 ethnically Romanian parishes in western Ukraine for several years now, amidst the growing ecclesiastical schism that picked up steam in 2018-2019 with the creation of the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine”, and now the war in Ukraine with the accompanying state persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
This decision was rejected by both the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which called on the Romanian Synod to reconsider, and the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” which also claims to have jurisdiction in Ukraine.
The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience has also refused to legally register the Romanian structure. Responding to a question from the Romanian outlet podul.ro, the Service said that acknowledging the “Romanian Orthodox Church of Ukraine” would violate Orthodox ecclesiology (though the state sponsored the creation of the parallel, schismatic OCU jurisdiction).
Instead, the authorities propose to create a special Romanian structure within the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” just as there is a Ukrainian structure within the Romanian Orthodox Church.
In July 2019, the Synod of Bishops of the schismatic OCU announced its intention to create a Romanian vicariate, hoping it would persuade the Romanian Church to recognize them, but the Romanian faithful living in Ukraine showed no interested.
Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!
