Supporters of the Ukrainian non-canonical Orthodox Church receiving autocephaly have picketed residencies of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) on Thursday, the UOC-MP press service said.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th December, 2018) Supporters of the Ukrainian non-canonical Orthodox Church receiving autocephaly have picketed residencies of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) on Thursday, the UOC-MP press service said."A number of pickets of supporters of autocephaly have been recorded, which were held near the residences of bishops and the diocesan administrations of the UOC," the press service said and noted that the Ukrainian law enforcement has failed to respond to the illegal gatherings.
The UOC-MP noted that its clerics have been facing pressure from the Ukrainian law enforcement to join the process of receiving autocephaly.
In late November, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) raided the residency of Metropolitan Pavel, the father superior of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, a historic cave monastery at the heart of a row between the UOC-MP, which owns the Christian shrine, and the non-canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate (UOC-KP). The prosecutors also reportedly launched a case for inciting religious hatred against him. Later some other premises and private houses of the UOC-MP were also searched.
Kiev authorities are working to establish a single local autocephalous church in the country based on non-canonical Ukrainian orthodox churches. However, autocephaly can only be given to a primate of a unified Ukrainian church, which has to be chosen by representatives of all orthodox churches in the country during the council, in which the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate refuses to participate.
In October, the Synod of the Constantinople Patriarchate announced that it would proceed with granting independence to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.
The Russian Orthodox Church, in turn, has gone on to sever diplomatic ties with the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have also decided to suspend services with the hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, expressing their hope that "the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople will change its decision."
