Hierarch of UOC-KP: We have never been part of OCU

"Metropolitan" of the UOC-KP Joasaph Shibaev. Photo: News

The representative of the UOC-KP "metropolitan" Joasaph Shibaev claims that neither his "vicar" Peter Moskalev nor he had ever been members of the "episcopate of the OCU". Joasaph Shibaev said about it on his Facebook page.

Commenting on the decisions of the “Holy Synod” of the OCU, dated June 24, 2019, the “hierarch” of the UOC-KP says that it is “physically disgusting to touch upon their affairs”. According to him, "the most correct definition for the participants in this gathering called Synod, in a criminal language, is scumbags."

In response to the Synod’s decision to exclude him from the episcopate of the OCU, Joasaph Shibaev claims that he has never joined the episcopate of the OCU.

Joasaph Shibaev emphasizes that according to the fourth paragraph of the statute of the OCU, the jurisdiction of this structure extends only to the territory of Ukraine; since he and Peter Moskalev are outside the territory of Ukraine, they are "outside the jurisdiction of the OCU".

Moreover, the “hierarch” of the UOC-KP is sure that Peter Moskalev’s and his “participation in the Unification Council after the adoption of the Statute was illegal” because “the Statute was adopted by the first paragraph of the Council”, which means “being no longer as part of your OCU we attended the Council, which is deceitful”.

By the same logic, says "metropolitan" Joasaph, "the participation of all other bishops of the Diaspora – Met. Andrian (Starina), Bishop Filaret of Moldova, Met. Michael (Liarosh) in this council was also illegal."

According to him, this means that “the advantage in total voting outcome for Met. Epiphany is reduced by 5 people. Here we are with the statement “the Council elected”. 

In addition, Joasaph Shibaev argues that “in light of all the aforesaid, my vicar and I considered it a blessing to remain in the jurisdiction that had given accurate answers to the above questions”, i.e. with the UOC-KP. In his opinion, this structure is “a natural phenomenon of church life”, while the OCU, on the contrary, is “an unnatural phenomenon”.

Joasaph Shibaev is sure that representatives of the OCU "will go down in history as a predatory church".

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the "metropolitan" of the UOC-KP Joasaph Shibaev believes that people who were previously considered "pious bishops of the Church of Christ now appear as hypocritical, cunning, cruel, and deceitful."

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