Former Metropolitan Filaret of Kyiv fell asleep in the Lord at the age 98.
The Honorary “Patriarch” and former Metropolitan of Kyiv, Filaret, was hospitalized in a medical facility in Kyiv due to a deterioration in his health caused by a flare-up of chronic illnesses.
Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine expressed deep sorrow following the passing of Former Metropolitan Filaret, sharing an emotional message on social media and calling the faithful to prayer.
In his statement, Metropolitan Epifaniy noted that the news of the Former Metropolitan’s repose has filled his heart—and the hearts of many Ukrainians—with grief. He urged the faithful across Ukraine to offer heartfelt prayers for the repose of the newly departed Patriarch, asking God to receive him into His Heavenly Kingdom.
Extending condolences to the family of the late hierarch, Metropolitan Epifaniy emphasized the enduring spiritual legacy of Former Metropolitan Filaret. He highlighted his teachings on the importance of unity within the Ukrainian Church around the Kyiv Throne, as well as his guidance on humility, conciliarity, and faithful service to God, the Church, and the Ukrainian people.
Biography of Former Metropolitan Filaret of Kyiv
Filaret (born Mykhailo Antonovych Denysenko, 23 January 1929 – 20 March 2026) was a prominent Ukrainian church leader and a key figure in the development of modern Ukrainian Orthodoxy.
He served as Metropolitan of Kyiv and Exarch of Ukraine within the Russian Orthodox Church from 1966 to 1992. After Ukraine gained independence, he became the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church–Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC–KP), advocating for ecclesiastical independence. This led to his defrocking and excommunication by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1997.
In 2018, the Ecumenical Patriarchaterestored him to communion and to the episcopate, though it did not recognize his patriarchal title, considering him instead the former Metropolitan of Kyiv.
Later that year, the Kyiv Patriarchate united with other church bodies to form the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which regards him as Honorary Patriarch emeritus. However, in 2019, disagreements with Metropolitan Epiphanius led Filaret to declare the continuation of the Kyiv Patriarchate, a structure that remains unrecognized by other Orthodox Churches and the Ukrainian state.
He is remembered as a highly influential yet controversial figure, closely associated with the struggle for an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
