UOC to overcome church schism and halt government interference into the matter

 In its Address to the Ukrainian people on June 24th the Holy Synod called an ongoing church schism a running sore on the body of Ukraine.

“A considerable part of our compatriots who practice an Orthodox religion have been torn off the World Orthodoxy for the third decade now” – stated arch-priests of the canonical Church.

In their Address to Ukrainians the arch-priests evidenced determination of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to have an open and constructive dialogue with representatives of unrecognized church groupings in Ukraine. In this regard they added, “The dialogue has to be carried on by virtue of the canonical law and without intrusion of secular factors. Schism overcoming is a purely internal church matter. We understand the willingness of state authorities to see our Church as single; however, we strongly object to the state interfering into the church life”.

Hence, at the session held on June 24th the Holy Synod endorsed the initiative of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius as for resuming the dialogue between Ukrainian Orthodox Church and “Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church” and approved a renewed composition of the Commission on Dialogue with UAOC.

It is to be recalled that the above mentioned initiative was announced on the 4th of June by the representatives of the UOC head at V Local Council of the “Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church”.

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