Epiphanius Dumenko, the head of autocephalous Ukrainian church, stated on Friday the need to engage in a dialogue with the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and expressed his willingness to do so.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st December, 2018) Epiphanius Dumenko, the head of autocephalous Ukrainian church, stated on Friday the need to engage in a dialogue with the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and expressed his willingness to do so.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concern at his annual press conference that Ukraine's "new church" might engage in a property redistribution with Ukraine's canonical Orthodox Church, warning that the process might have a "grave character." Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) has repeatedly reported about being oppressed by representatives of non-canonical religious structures in Ukraine, with about 40 cathedrals having been lost by the church in 2014-2016 alone.
"We have to engage in a dialogue ... We should have consensus, not feud. If they feel love, they would join the autocephalous church," Epiphanius said, as quoted by Ukraine's 1+1 tv channel.
Epiphanius also pointed out that Ukraine's so-called new church had about 7,000 parishes, and the number was expected to increase after church obtains tomos of autocephaly from Constantinople in early January.
On December 15, during a "unification council" that was held in Kiev, Epiphany Dumenko, metropolitan of Pereyaslavsky and Bila Tserkva of the non-canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate, was elected head of the "new church." The UOC-MP refused to officially participate in this event.
The Moscow Patriarchate described the situation as the "legalization of schism," stressing that it would have catastrophic consequences and affect millions of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine and other countries. On Thursday, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill called on Orthdox churches around the world not to recognize the results of the so-called unification council.
