We do not agree to a single Church under the jurisdiction of Constantinople, – Filaret
"There is the 34th apostolic rule, which states that every nation should know their first bishop," Filaret said. “That is, either the patriarch, or metropolitan, or archbishop. When we were in one state, both within the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian Church was part of the Russian Church and recognized the Patriarch of Moscow as its head. When Ukraine became an independent state, then, according to this 34th apostolic rule, we assembled the local council and decided that the Ukrainian Church should be autocephalous, that is, independent."
At the same time, the head of the UOC-KP reported that the omoporion of Constantinople does not interest him.
"What's the difference – to obey Moscow or Constantinople?, said Filaret. “After all, Ukraine is an independent state."
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