On May 23, 2022, a regular meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of Ukraine) took place in the Synodal Hall of the Metropolitan House – Residence of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral.
All Synod members took part in the meeting, as reported by the Secretariat of the Holy Synod, according to the OCU website.
After hearing the address of the Primate, His Beatitude Epifaniy, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, about repentance and return to canonical unity with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine of the clergyman with the Khmelnytsky Diocese of the UOC (OCU) Archimandrite Varsonofiy (Vadym Kachan, the Synod took it into account and expressed joy in this regard. With the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Epifaniy, Archimandrite Varsonofy will continue his priestly ministry as a clergyman with the Khmelnytsky Diocese.
The Holy Synod heard cases of convictions for significant canonical violations by clergymen, previously banned from the service, Metropolitan Joasaph (Shibayev), former Bishop Peter (Moskalyov) of Belgorod and Oboyan, former Bishop Filaret (Panku) of Valuysk and Bilhorod-Dnistrovsk. Having found them guilty of substantial violations, the Synod condemned them, depriving them of their sacred dignity. Archimandrite Andriy (Marutsak) and Archpriest Bohdan Zgoba, banned from serving as clergymen, were also summoned to the court of the Holy Synod during the next regular session on charges of violations resulting in deprivation of sacred dignity.
At the request of the Primate, the Synod elected Archimandrite Antoniy (Firley), a resident of the St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv, as Bishop of Boryspil and Vicar of the Kyiv Diocese.
Given the special significance of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra as a shrine of national and world importance, in order to overcome the consequences of uncanonical subordination of the monastery to the Moscow Patriarchate, at the suggestion of His Beatitude Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, the Synod decided to set up as part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of Ukraine) religious association a religious organization “Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (male monastery) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of Ukraine),” adopted its Statute, and determined that it shall be in direct subordination to the Primate of the Orthodox Church as its Holy Archimandrite (the abbot).
The Synod also asked the Primate to apply to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to have one of the churches of the Upper Lavra and some of its premises transferred for use in worship and monastic activities to the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk UOC (UOC).
As part of the Lviv Diocese, the Holy Resurrection New Athos Monastery was established, where Abbot Iov (Olshansky) was appointed its governor. The Synod also considered some procedural issues.
