Filaret says political developments should spur idea of national Church (05/15/05)

Filaret says political developments should spur idea of national Church

Religious Information Service of Ukraine

KYIV - "The Orange Revolution should help the creation and recognition of a national Church in Ukraine. The Ukrainian National Church already exists as the Kyivan Patriarchate," said Patriarch Filaret (Denysenko), head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), on May 1.

According to Patriarch Filaret, his Church is autocephalous because it is dependent neither on the Moscow nor the Constantinople patriarchates but is an autocephalous Church in Ukraine.

He also said that Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko supports the creation of a national Church in Ukraine. "This is not political vengeance," the patriarch said. "Every head of state should take care of the unity of the nation and the consolidation of society. How can society be consolidated if the Kyiv Patriarchate and the Moscow Patriarchate oppose each other?"

According to the patriarch, this was felt during the recent presidential elections. "Consolidation is possible through creating a single Church," he said.

At the same time, Patriarch Filaret stressed that no Church can be established by presidential decree, because that would be state interference in Church affairs.

The patriarch said he thinks a national Ukrainian Orthodox Church can be created by the clergy and the faithful, while the Constantinople Patriarchate should confirm its autocephalous status.

The UOC/KP leader said he thinks there are grounds for this move, namely a recent statement by a representative of the Constantinople Patriarchate, in which he said the Patriarchate recognizes only the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church within its pre-1686 boundaries, that is, excluding Ukraine. According to Patriarch Filaret, "this was done so that the Ecumenical Patriarch could issue a decree on autocephaly."

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