"Patriarch" Nikodym establishes UOC-KP diocese in Mexico

“Patriarch” Nikodym. Photo: screenshot from Nikodym’s Facebook page

On June 10, 2026, the head of the UOC-KP, “Patriarch” Nikodym, signed a decree establishing a “Mexican Diocese” and admitting a group of local clergy into his organization. According to the decree, Daniel de Jesus Ruiz Flores was appointed to lead the new diocese with the title “Metropolitan of Mexico City and All Mexico.”

Along with the new “hierarch,” the UOC-KP also received the Holy Trinity Monastery, the Church of the Holy Archangels, several missions, and even a “theological academy.” In petitions addressed to Nikodym, the clergy explained their move as a response to requests from the Ukrainian diaspora. They claimed that their faithful wished to remain in “canonical unity” specifically with the “Kyiv Patriarchate.”

"Patriarch" Nikodym has already approved the personnel structure of the new diocese, appointing Archimandrite Constantine (Flores Ojeda), Priest Matthew (Matthias Patrick Jacob), Deacon Basil (Jaime Fabrizio Prada Rojas), and others to various positions. All of them pledged to commemorate Nikodym as their primate during divine services.

As the UOJ previously reported, the head of the UOC-KP recently stated that he is unable to process all the applications for admission to the Kyiv Patriarchate due to their large number.

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