On the motion of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine addressed a letter to His Beatitude Sawa, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland, in connection with complaints sent to the Ecumenical Patriarchate by the clergy of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church (PAOC) against the OCU.
“We see no canonical basis, apart from subjective bias, which would prevent us from establishing a normal order of communication between our Local Churches. Unfortunately, until now, we have not received from the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church either a response to the Peace Letters sent by us, or proposals for dialogue with the aim of clarifying all the issues that have arisen and continue to arise mutually,” the letter reads.
According to Metropolitan Epifaniy, this unfortunate situation worsened due to the prejudiced attitude of a large part of the clergy of the Church headed by Your Beatitude towards the clergy and faithful of the OCU, who were forced to find themselves as refugees in Poland, escaping from the suffering and threats of the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine.
It is with pain that we receive evidence of numerous examples of how the hierarchs and clergy of the PAOC not only refuse co-service to the priests of the OCU, but also deny them communion, treating them as non-Christians. Therefore, being ‘driven in one place, they go to another,’ finding fraternal help, support and understanding in the Catholic Church, which provides them with a place for religious services and church activities,” emphasized the head of the OCU.
In this regard, we do not understand the complaints of the hierarchs and clerics of the PAOC to the Ecumenical Patriarchate about the contacts of the clergy of the OCU with the Catholic Church. If Your Eminence or the PAOC clergy are to ask us something, we are ready for a fraternal dialogue. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine is an autocephalous Local Church, and not a part or structure of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, therefore, we ask that all questions concerning the OCU be put before us first,” Metropolitan Epifaniy noted.
He also emphasized that the church activities carried out on a temporary basis among the Ukrainian refugees by the OCU clergy are a forced measure because the Polish Church did not and does not offer them another way to satisfy their spiritual needs.
I personally and our Local Church are open to fraternal constructive dialogue and to the search for solutions to all issues. We expect the same openness on the part of the PAOC,” concluded the head of the OCU.
