The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) will remain the only canonical church in the country despite Kiev's intention to create a unified autocephalous church, Metropolitan Antony Pakanich said after the extraordinary session of the UOC-MP Synod
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th December, 2018) The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) will remain the only canonical church in the country despite Kiev's intention to create a unified autocephalous church, Metropolitan Antony Pakanich said after the extraordinary session of the UOC-MP Synod.
On December 15, a so-called unifying council was held in Kiev, where "metropolitan" of the non-canonical church structure, Epiphany Dumenko, was elected the head of the "new church." According to Ukrainian media, only two bishops of the canonical UOC-MP participated in the council.
"At the [so-called unifying council] two non-canonical structures were unified. It was a unification of two divisive movements and the decision has no significance for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. There is only one canonical church in Ukraine and that is Ukrainian Orthodox Church," the metropolitan said.
According to the Synod statement, the UOC-MP had to deprive two of its bishops, Simeon Shostatsky and Alexander Drabinko, of their dioceses after they participated in the December 15 council in Kiev.
