Russia’s war against Ukraine leads to a split in the Russian Orthodox Church. Yesterday in Kyiv, its Ukrainian branch decided to become completely independent from the Moscow Patriarchate. After a national council attended by bishops, priests, religious and lay people, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the Moscow Patriarchate declared: “We do not share the position of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Cyril on the war in Ukraine.”
The Council adopted amendments to the Church Statute “certifying the full autonomy and independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” reported Kathpress and the Catholic News Agency. Further details on the detachment from the Moscow Patriarchate were initially not known. For Russia’s church, the loss of its Ukrainian branch with millions of believers and clergy would be a heavy blow.
In contrast to Cyril I, the Ukrainian national council condemned Russia’s war of aggression as violating the commandment “Thou shalt not kill!”. The congregation expressed its condolences to all those who suffered as a result of the war. The governments of Ukraine and Russia should continue the negotiation process and end the “bloodshed”.
Addressed to the competing Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OKU), the Council expressed its “deep regret at the lack of unity in Ukrainian Orthodoxy”. However, one does not give up hope that a dialogue can be started. To do this, however, the representatives of OKU would have to “stop the confiscation of churches and the forced transfer of congregations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church”.