A council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) decided on Friday to declare its "full self-sufficiency and independence," thus distancing itself from Russian Orthodoxy.
This decision comes in the third month of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has been broadly supported by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.
"The Council adopted relevant amendments and additions to the statutes concerning the administration of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, indicating the full autonomy and independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," the Church decided on May 27 in Kyiv.
The council also condemned the Russo-Ukrainian war, laid out conditions for dialogue with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and discussed the possibility of producing chrism, considered a sign of autocephaly in the Russian tradition.
The council condemns the war as a violation of God's commandment "Thou shalt not kill," and expresses its "disagreement with the position of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia regarding the war in Ukraine."
It called for Russian and Ukrainian authorities to continue negotiations.
Given the communication difficulties in the context of war, diocesan bishops were granted "the right to independently make decisions on certain matters of diocesan life that fall under the jurisdiction of the Holy Synod or the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, subsequently informing the hierarchy when the opportunity arises."
Considering the flight of millions of Ukrainians during the war, it resolved to support the diaspora, expressing "its deep conviction that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church cannot leave its faithful without spiritual care, must be close to them in their trials, and organize church communities. … It is necessary to further develop the mission abroad among Orthodox Ukrainians to preserve their faith, culture, language, and Orthodox identity."
Eastern Orthodoxy in Ukraine is divided between the UOC-MP and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), to which the Ecumenical Patriarch granted autocephaly in 2019. Since the Russian invasion, some parishes of the UOC-MP have transferred to the OCU, and some have ceased commemorating Patriarch Kirill in the Divine Liturgy.
The council expressed its "deep regret regarding the lack of unity in Ukrainian Orthodoxy," stating it was "particularly disappointing" that the granting of autocephaly to the OCU "has deepened misunderstandings and led to physical confrontation."
Dialogue could resume, it said, if the OCU were to end "the forced seizures of churches and forced transfers of parishes" from the UOC-MP; "realized that its canonical status [is not autocephalous"; and "resolved the question of the canonicity of the OCU hierarchy, because for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as for most local Orthodox Churches, it is entirely evident that to recognize the canonicity of the OCU hierarchy, it is necessary to restore the apostolic succession of its bishops."
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