UOC Holy Synod calls on Phanar to stop interfering in its internal affairs
The Holy Synod called the appointment of the two Phanar exarchs to Kiev a "gross interference" in the UOC’s internal affairs and a violation of its canonical territory.
On September 25, the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church held a meeting at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, at which the bishops officially called on Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to stop interfering in the internal affairs of the UOC, reports the Information and Education Department of the UOC.
"The ‘exarchs’ of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon and Bishop Hilarion of Edmonton, must leave the canonical territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," the Synod’s resolution states, noting that their activities are uncanonical and violate inter-faith peace in Ukraine.
The episcopate of the UOC also decided to suspend concelebrations with hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The members of the Holy Synod also called upon the clergy, monastics, and faithful of the UOC to strengthen their prayers for the preservation of the unity of Holy Orthodoxy.
The appointment of the exarchs was announced on September 7. His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine, the Primate of the UOC, then stated that Constantinople has no such rights and qualified the decision of Phanar as a violation of the canonical territory.
