Reuters

The Council of Bishops of the Polish Orthodox Church insists on observing the canonical norms on the issue of granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This is reported by the Synodal Information and Educational Department of the UOC-MP (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarhate).



It is reported that the meeting of the Bishops' Council of the Polish Orthodox Church took place on May 9, 2018. It addressed the issue of the autocephaly of the UOC. The decisions taken are addressed to the Primate of the UOC Metropolitan Onufriy, as well as Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and Patriarch Kirill of the Russian OC.



"In connection with the issue of granting autocephaly in Ukraine, the Bishops' Council of the Polish Orthodox Church emphasized the fundamental necessity of observing the canonical norms of the life of the Church and noted that" the status of autocephaly can be recognized only for one Church existing in the state. In Ukraine there are several schismatic church groups, which first of all should bring repentance to return to the canonical Church. Only then we can talk about the recognition of autocephaly, "the UOC MP reported.



Representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate also report that, according to the expressed opinion of the Local Orthodox Churches, autocephaly can be provided only by the Mother Church and only after agreement with the priests of all local churches.



"Irrelevant and premature decisions on the autocephaly case in Ukraine can lead to further divisions," insisted the representatives of the UOC-MP.



Also, it is specified in the message, the Council urged not to be guided in the decision of similar questions by political reasons.



We recall, on April 17, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko wrote a letter to the Ecumenical Patriarch asking for the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine and urged parliamentarians to support such an initiative.

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