A memorial Divine Liturgy for Patriarch Filaret was celebrated on March 22, 2026, at St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral Kyiv.
The service was led by senior hierarchs of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, including Metropolitan Dymytriy of Lviv, Archbishop Matfey of Volodymyr, Archbishop Afanasiy of Odesa, Bishop Fotiy of Zaporizhzhia, and Bishop Varsonofiy of Uzhhorod, concelebrating with the cathedral clergy.
Following the Liturgy, a funeral procession carrying the body of Patriarch Filaret arrived at the cathedral. Earlier, the procession had stopped at Sofiyska Square Kyiv, where a memorial litia service was held in his honor.
At the cathedral, Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv presided over the final part of the funeral service. Bishops and priests from across Ukraine, along with numerous faithful, gathered to pray and bid farewell to the late Patriarch.
At the conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Epifaniy addressed those present with a pastoral message. In his homily, the Metropolitan reflected on the passing of the late hierarch, noting that “here, in St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral, where he served for more than six decades, his body will find its final earthly resting place,” adding the words of Ecclesiastes: “the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” He emphasized that the faithful’s foremost duty, especially in the first forty days, is to pray earnestly that God grant rest to his soul among the righteous and forgive all his sins.
The Metropolitan also highlighted that Patriarch Filaret’s life was marked by love, recalling that even in his final days he continued to preach this central Christian virtue. “Love never fails… and the greatest of these is love,” he quoted, stressing that the gathered faithful had come to bear witness to this love—for the Church, for the Ukrainian people, and for the legacy of the late Patriarch. He concluded by expressing hope that this spirit of sacrificial love would continue to inspire unity, perseverance, and faith.
After the final farewell, the coffin bearing the body of Patriarch Filaret was buried inside the cathedral, in accordance with his last will.
Source: posmina.info
