Kyiv Patriarchate elects former OCU cleric as 'bishop'
The former OCU cleric was received into the Kyiv Patriarchate together with his parish.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC–KP) has announced that it has received former OCU cleric Oleksii Nikolyshyn into its jurisdiction together with the Resurrection parish in the village of Ozerna, Ternopil region.
Following the transfer, the Holy Synod of the Kyiv Patriarchate elected Nikolyshyn as "Bishop of Ternopil and Buchach."
The UOC–KP said that the time and place of his monastic tonsure, followed by his episcopal "consecration," would be announced at a later date.
The OCU condemned the move and announced the suspension of Fr. Oleksii Nikolyshyn from priestly ministry, citing "a grave violation of canonical order, disobedience and disrespect toward his bishop, participation in unlawful gatherings, and actions aimed at causing a schism within the Orthodox Church of Ukraine."
As the UOJ previously reported, another OCU cleric recently transferred to the UOC–KP.
