The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine will send a letter to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Daniel of Romania, following the decision of the Romanian Orthodox Church to establish an ecclesiastical entity for Romanians living in Ukraine.
The Holy Synod of the Church of Ukraine, which met on March 7, states that one of the fundamental principles of the canonical order and structure of the Orthodox Church is that each local Church has exclusive jurisdiction within its canonical territory.
Furthermore, the Great Council of Constantinople in 1872 emphasized that the establishment of canonical structures within the Church should not rely solely on racial distinctions. Such an approach does not foster unity among Orthodox believers but rather divides the Church, leading to schisms.
Among other points, the letters to the two church leaders emphasize that according to canonical order and the provisions outlined in the Tomos of Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, it holds sole canonical jurisdiction over the entirety of the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine.
It is added that: “In its capacity as a compassionate Mother Church for all Orthodox faithful in Ukraine, irrespective of their ethnicity, and demonstrating pastoral concern for the spiritual welfare of Orthodox believers residing in Ukraine and identifying with the Romanian national and ecclesiastical heritage, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine adopted the following decision through the resolution of its Holy Synod (July 27, 2019): ‘Taking into consideration the pastoral requirements of Romanian-speaking Orthodox congregations in Ukraine, and inspired by the organizational model of Romanian Orthodox Church parishes predominantly comprising ethnic Ukrainians, it is resolved to establish the Orthodox Romanian Vicariate within the Orthodox Church of Ukraine for religious entities (religious communities and monasteries) in Ukraine primarily composed of ethnic Romanians.'”
The Holy Synod expresses its hope that all matters necessitating resolution will be addressed by the Romanian and Ukrainian Local Churches “in the spirit of fraternal love, adherence to canonical principles, and in accordance with the provisions outlined in the Tomos of Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
The Holy Synod also heard the report of the Metropolitan of Kyiv “on a series of violations committed by the Russian occupiers against the right to freedom of conscience in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, on their systematic religious persecution, as well as on the need for further public and legislative action to address the destructive and immoral interaction of Russian religious organizations with the Kremlin terrorist regime.”
The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine referred to the visit of the head of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Justin Welby, and the delegation of the Church, as well as to the discussion on the Ukrainian issue during the meeting of the General Synod of the Church of England.
The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine expressed its gratitude to the Church of England, the Anglican community and personally to Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, for the spiritual, moral, and humanitarian support to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people who have been suffering from Russian aggression for more than a decade.
Photos: pomisna
