Filaret: We’ll struggle for Church independent of Moscow and Constantinople

After the "liturgy", Filaret did not answer the journalists’ questions

On May 14, 2019, Filaret Denisenko performed a solemn "divine service" at St. Vladimir’s Cathedral on the occasion of the commemoration of the Martyr Macarius of Kiev, during which he announced the continuation of the struggle for an independent Ukrainian Church, reports “Glavcom”.

“We will continue to struggle for the Ukrainian Church, independent of either Moscow or Constantinople,” the edition cites Filaret’s words, said during the “liturgy”.

At the end of the event, in which only four of the 60 invited “hierarchs” took part, the “honorary patriarch” refused to communicate with journalists. Alexander Shmurygin, an employee of the UOC KP press centre, announced a big press conference of Filaret for Wednesday, May 15, at which he will answer all questions.

As reported earlier, on May 14, 2019, only four “bishops” came to the “divine service” which took place today at St. Vladimir’s Cathedral on the occasion of the memory of the Holy Martyr Macarius. These are three representatives of the “Ukrainian Church” from the eparchies located on the territory of the Russian Federation – “Bishop” Peter of Valuisk, “Metropolitan” Joasaph of Belgorod and “Metropolitan” Adrian Starina, as well as “Archbishop” Clement of Simferopol and Crimea. Though the head of the OCU Epiphany also got an invitation, he refused to participate in the event.

On May 8, “Bishop” Adrian Kulik of the OCU called “separatists” everyone who responded to Filaret’s invitation.

Later it became known that the students of the Theological Academy of the Centre of Political Rights had been forbidden to attend the “worship” of Filaret on May 14.

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