Filaret: Kyiv Patriarchate exists in Ukraine

OCU “Honorary Patriarch” Filaret Denisenko. Photo: open sources

For the entire Orthodox world, we are the Kyiv Metropolia, but for Ukraine, we are a patriarchate, OCU “Honorary Patriarch” Filaret said in an interview with Radio Liberty.

“The OCU is officially recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarch. But the Kyiv Patriarchate exists in Ukraine because we are not satisfied with the status of a metropolia,” Denisenko said.

He expressed his conviction that if Ukraine has had its own “patriarchs,” then the “patriarchate” unquestionably exists as well.

“We have existed as a patriarchate for more than 25 years. And the people elected patriarchs. I am the third patriarch. Before me there was Patriarch Volodymyr, Patriarch Mstyslav. There were patriarchs! And therefore, for Ukraine, we are a patriarchate. But for the outside world – that is, for the Orthodox world – we are the Kyiv Metropolia,” Filaret explained.

According to him, the time for recognition of the Kyiv Patriarchate is yet to come.

“We believe the time will come when all of Orthodoxy recognizes the Ukrainian Church not as a metropolia but as a patriarchate. That will happen when we unite all Ukrainian Orthodoxy into one Church. Then the time will be ripe for recognition of the Kyiv Patriarchate,” Denisenko said.

Earlier, “His Holiness Patriarch of All Rus-Ukraine” stated that the faithful of the Kyiv Patriarchate had agreed to accept the status of a metropolia from the Phanar only so that there could be a “transitional period” on the path toward a patriarchate.

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