The honorary patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate Filaret announced a split in the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. He also claimed he is authorized to convene a council.
The news was reported by TSN, referencing Filaret’s direct words.
As Filaret says, the church divided due to rare communications with Epiphanius. He states that such conversations occurred five times or less since the Orthodox Church of Ukraine’s creation.
“Is this communication? When every day you have to manage the church. There are no conversations when they should be, and it divided the church. My task now, as a patriarch, is to preserve the Kiev Patriarchate and the Ukrainian church,” he noted.
In addition, the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Filaret accused Metropolitan Epiphanius of violating the agreements that the bishops' council accepted. According to these agreements, Epiphanius represents the Ukrainian church externally, while Filaret heads it as a patriarch.
“This was the agreement. The President insisted on it as well. It’s not how it’s happening now,” the former patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church stated.
According to Filaret, now he has no relationship with Epiphanius, as “our agreement, which was accepted by the bishops’ council, is being violated.”
“Taking a lying path,” he added. Filaret believes Epiphanius has to communicate with him as with a patriarch. The head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, however, has not held a joint service with him in 4-5 months and does not communicate.
Filaret asserts that, as the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, he can convene a council.
He also stated that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate exists today. Filaret added, "It (the Kyiv Patriarchate) exists. It does not need to be returned. Is there a patriarch? If there is a patriarch, there is a patriarchate. Thus, the Kyiv Patriarchate exists. Therefore, there is no need to return it. It exists as it should be, and it will exist. It will not always be unrecognized. The time will come when it is recognized. "
As “Apostrophe” reported earlier, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Epiphanius, has publicly commented on the conflict with Patriarch Filaret.