The Moscow Patriarchate insists that the initiative to provide the autocephaly for Ukraine is 'anti-canonical'

The Synodus of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church called on Patriarch Bartholomew not to interfere with the internal affairs of the Church. The exarchs of the Constantinople Patriarchate are asked to leave Ukraine. The respective statement sounded at the Tuesday session of the Synodus, the press office of the Moscow Patriarchate of Ukraine's Orthodox Church reported.

'This assignment was considered a rude interference with the internal affairs of Ukraine's Orthodox Church and violation of its canonical territory. Respectively, the Synodus of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church urged Bartholomew, the Partiarch of Constantinople to stop interfering with the internal affairs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and not to violate its canonical area', the message says.

The Church also stated that exarchs of the Constantinople Patriarchate must leave the canonical area of Ukraine's Orthodox Church, 'since their actions are non-canonical and breach the confessional peace in Ukraine'.

There will be no more joint services with the churchmen of the Constantinople Patriarchate, the Synodus ruled.

The Church authority also urged the believes 'to pray more intensely for the unity of the Holy Orthodoxy'.

Besides, the Synodus also asked Ukrainian MPs to retract the three draft bills, which offer to change the status and the order of subordination of religious communities in Ukraine. 'Any forced changes to the name or the status are illegal and pose a direct interference with the internal affairs of the Church', the statement reads.