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Ukrainian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate

Ukraine’s parliament on 20 August 2024 voted to ban the Russia-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In a session of the Verkhovna Rada, 265 MPs voted to approve a bill outlawing religious organisations linked with Russia, including the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is linked to the Moscow Patriarchate, several MPs reported. The move was welcomed by President Volodymyr Zelensky who said it would bolster Ukraine’s independence. "Today I want to note the work of the Verkhovna Rada. A law on our spiritual independence has been adopted," Zelensky said on social media, adding the government would "continue to strengthen Ukraine and our society".

Kyiv had been trying to curb religious and social links with Russia for years — a process that was accelerated by Moscow’s 2022 invasion, which the powerful Russian Orthodox Church endorsed. The Russian Orthodox Church condemned a vote by lawmakers in Kyiv to ban the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church. "This is an unlawful act that is the grossest violation of the basic principles of freedom of conscience and human rights," Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida wrote on Telegram.

The leaders of the Orthodox churches in Ukraine that were affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church have adopted measures declaring the church’s full independence while criticising the Russian church’s leader for his support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The council of the Moscow-connected body, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, on 27 May 2022 said it “condemns the war as a violation of God’s commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill!’ … and expresses disagreement with the position of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia regarding the war in Ukraine”.

"Given that the Russian Orthodox Church is an ideological continuation of the regime of the aggressor state, an accomplice in war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on behalf of the Russian Federation and the ideology of the 'Russian world,' the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine are prohibited," the bill reads. The activity of religious organizations affiliated with a foreign religious organization, the activity of which is prohibited in Ukraine, must be terminated.

Relations, connections and communications of religious organizations, including religious communities and other legal entities, with foreign religious organizations, the activities of which are prohibited in Ukraine, are not allowed. According to the bill, a religious organization operating in Ukraine cannot have a management center in Russia.

The new law targets Russian-affiliated churches, gives UOC MP 9 months to cut Moscow ties. Not an outright ban, but pushes for change. If UOC MP doesn't comply, it loses official status but can operate unofficially. Experts say dialogue between UOC MP, rival OCU, state, and Ecumenical Patriarchate crucial. Possible solution: temporary structure under Constantinople for UOC MP bishops leaving Russian Orthodox Church.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church had remained in canonical communion with the Moscow Patriarchate and the Universal Orthodoxy. The UOC (MP) was formerly the only Ukrainian church to have full canonical standing in Eastern Orthodoxy, and to operate in full communion with the other Eastern Orthodox Churches.

Ukraine’s parliament approved a bill that would force the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) to change its name. A total of 240 lawmakers voted for the legislation on December 20, as hundreds of people opposed to the bill held a mass prayer next to the parliament’s building. The proposed law would require a religious organization whose governing center is based in a country waging war against Ukraine or occupying Ukrainian territory to change its name to reflect its affiliation. The bill would force the UOC-MP, which remains subordinate to Russia, to add "Russian" to its name.

The move came after Ukrainian Orthodox leaders agreed on the creation of a new national Ukrainian Orthodox Church and elected the 39-year-old Metropolitan Epifaniy to head it. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople was expected to hand over a "tomos" -- a decree granting autocephaly, or independence -- to Epifaniy on 06 January 2019.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which had 12,500 congregations, was the largest of three Orthodox churches in Ukraine. But according to a poll released in mid-September 2018, of those polled who named themselves as Orthodox, 45.2 percent claimed allegiance to the Kyiv Patriarchate, while only 16.9 percent to the Moscow Patriarchate; 2.1 percent were for the UAOC and 33.9 percent were "just Orthodox," without a specific congregation.

The jurisdiction of each autocephalous Church (excepting the ancient Patriarchates and the Church of Cyprus, whose boundaries were established by Ecumenical Councils) is established and recorded in the tomos granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. When Ukraine was part of the Russian empire, and part of the Soviet Union, the Orthodox Church in Ukraine was part of the Russian Orthodox Church. Under the Chrisoboulo, which the Patriarchate of Moscow received in 1590 from Constantinople, the Metropolis of Kyiv was not included among her jurisdictions. The basic primary sources that exist are the 1686 letters of Ecumenical Patriarch Dionysius IV to Czars Ivan and Peter, and to Patriarch Joachim of Moscow. These letters clearly mention Constantinople granting Moscow permission to conduct the ordination of the Metropolitan of Kyiv.

The Bishops' Council, consisting of 91 hierarchs (6 off sick), presided over by His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, considered and comprehensively discussed the appeal of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for granting it independence and autonomy in government. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church at its session of July, 20, 1990 /proceedings No. 12/ took a survey of the decree of the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of July, 10, 1990, on the arrangements aiming at the development of its independence, made in the spirit of the Resolutions of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church held on July, 7-8, 1990, and referred the question to decision. Taking into account principal significance of the above-mentioned decree of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for the future of the ecclesiastical life in Ukraine, the Holy Synod concluded: to consider it at the special Bishops' Council.

For preparation of the Bishops' Council, a special commission was formed by the Holy Synod with His Eminence Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna Juvenaly at the head. The commission was entrusted to make a thorough study of suggestions of the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church since they involve a wide range of historical, canonical, pastors' and international problems, resolving of which presupposes canonical embodiment of the Resolutions of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church held on July, 7-8, 1990, concerning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

On October, 1, 1990, /proceedings No. 114/ the Holy Synod approved the activity of the Commission mentioned. The materials and suggestions on the actual issue were sent to all the Eminences of the Russian Orthodox Church and were brought up for discussion and approval of the present Council of Bishops.

On the detailed examination and comprehensive discussion of the request of the Synod and the episcopate of the UOC, the Council of Bishops resolved: 1. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church obtains independence and self-governance. 2. Thereby the name "Ukrainian Exarchate" is abolished. 3. Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is elected by the Ukrainian episcopate and is blessed by His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. 4. Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church bears the title of His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine. 5. Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine is conferred on a title "The Most Blessed", within the limits of the Ukrainian Church. 6. Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine enjoys the privilege of wearing two Panagias and the privilege of precedence with the cross during Divine services. 7. The Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church elects and appoints ruling and vicar bishops, established and abolishes dioceses inside Ukraine. 8. Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine as Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The attitude of the Ukrainian state to the Moscow-connected church began deteriorating since the moment of the Maidan revolution in February 2014. There were several attempts by Ukrainian nationalist activists to seize from the Ukrainian branch of the Russian Orthodox Church several important premises belonging to it, including the famous Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. (In translation it means “Kiev Monastery on the Caves” and includes several important relics of Holy Rus’s saints.) The attempt failed because of resistance from the parishioners and monks.

The 28th of July is celebrated in Russia as the Day of Baptism of ancient Rus (the proto-state of Eastern Slavs with the capital in Kiev). On this day in 2014, the Russian Orthodox Church marked the 1025thanniversary of Kiev’s residents being baptized by St. Vladimir, the Kievan prince who opted for Orthodox Christianity. In 1988, the celebrations of the 1000th anniversary of Rus’s baptism marked the “rehabilitation” of the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union, where it had faced enormous pressure from the officially atheist state until then. So, the holiday is rich in symbolism for the middle-aged generation of Orthodox believers.

In 2014, for the first time in many years, the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, which unites millions of Orthodox believers in both Russia and Ukraine, was unable to travel to Kiev, the original site of baptism. The reason was the poor state of relations between Russia and Ukraine. The Ukrainian ministry of culture strongly recommended that Patriarch Kirill not visit the Ukrainian territory. In Ukrainian nationalist circles Patriarch Kirill is dismissed as “Putin’s ally” and a carrier of anti-nationalist ideology of the “Russian world” (this ideology, stressing the “spiritual unity” of Orthodox nations of the former Soviet Union, became anathema to the new authorities in Kiev).

The Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the Moscow Patriarchate (MP) on Wednesday elected Metropolitan Onufriy of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna as its new leader on 13 August 2014. Metropolitan Onufriy, who was elected after two rounds of voting in Kiev Pechersk Lavra, was enthroned on August 17. The previous Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Volodymyr (Sabodan) died on July 5.